Narrative:

On mar/xa/99, I was flying as PIC of a PA28-151 on a flight paid for by the USAF. At the time I was an instructor in the F16 and flight safety officer. I was on a trip distributing pamphlets explaining luke's flying operations to civilian pilots. On the leg between prescott and wickenburg, az, I was intercepted and 'dusted off' by 4 F16's from my own base. After submitting a letter to my commander and investigating further, I was told to knock off my investigation and report -- 'no one has done anything wrong and we don't want to get a bud in trouble.' today, I'm an F16 pilot and airline pilot. After the nov/00 accident between an F16 and a C172 in the sarasota, fl, area, I decided to file this report because something needs to be done to improve the MTR system. While cruising at 110 KTS from prescott, az, to wickenburg, az, at 8500 ft MSL, I began a descent to 6500 ft to fly below the gladden MOA. At 7000 ft MSL, I encountered a flight of 4 F16's. The first F16 I saw was coming directly at me from low altitude with no line of sight -- which from my training as a fighter pilot, he is going to hit me unless the line of sight starts moving. He was coming toward me from left to right -- aspect angle was 90 degrees. I was crossing their flight path at a 90 degree angle. I initially started a climb and then pulled on the yoke as hard as I could. I thought we were going to hit and I've never been more scared in an airplane -- after over 1300 missions in the F16 that is a strong statement because you see a lot of scary stuff as a fighter pilot (you just get over it). After landing, I investigated further by first calling the command post at luke and finding out who was on VR245. There was only 1 flight booked on the route and it was a last min change before the pilots stepped to fly. The flight booked on the route was flight from a fighter squadron. I visited the squadron and investigated further. After the commander found out it was me that was the civilian pilot, they asked me to stop investigating and not file a report. They said they had reviewed the F16 pilot's HUD video tape and the pilot did not close within 2300 ft slant range. They also would not let me see the tape. After over 1800 hours and 1300 missions in the F16, I estimate our miss distance was 300 ft horizontal and 100 ft vertical. I also have extensive experience with the F16B radar and know that the radar will break lock once the target is gimbaled. They might have been at 2300 ft slant range when the radar broke lock, but they continued to a closer range that was an unsafe distance. So unsafe that they made me pull the yoke for all it would give me. In addition, they exited the confines of the MTR to intercept me. This incident is not uncommon. It is common practice for fighter pilots to intercept civilians to practice visual identify while flying MTR's and MOA's. According to the fighter wing standardization and evaluation office, military pilots are free to intercept civilians as long as they stay outside of a 500 ft bubble around the target aircraft. To me, this is wrong and in violation of the FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT COMPLAINT OF FLT OF 4 MIL F16 ACFT COMING TOO CLOSE DURING THEIR 'LOOK SEE' IDENTING MANEUVERS RESULTING IN THE RPTR TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID WHAT APPEARED TO HIM AS AN IMPENDING COLLISION.

Narrative: ON MAR/XA/99, I WAS FLYING AS PIC OF A PA28-151 ON A FLT PAID FOR BY THE USAF. AT THE TIME I WAS AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE F16 AND FLT SAFETY OFFICER. I WAS ON A TRIP DISTRIBUTING PAMPHLETS EXPLAINING LUKE'S FLYING OPS TO CIVILIAN PLTS. ON THE LEG BTWN PRESCOTT AND WICKENBURG, AZ, I WAS INTERCEPTED AND 'DUSTED OFF' BY 4 F16'S FROM MY OWN BASE. AFTER SUBMITTING A LETTER TO MY COMMANDER AND INVESTIGATING FURTHER, I WAS TOLD TO KNOCK OFF MY INVESTIGATION AND RPT -- 'NO ONE HAS DONE ANYTHING WRONG AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET A BUD IN TROUBLE.' TODAY, I'M AN F16 PLT AND AIRLINE PLT. AFTER THE NOV/00 ACCIDENT BTWN AN F16 AND A C172 IN THE SARASOTA, FL, AREA, I DECIDED TO FILE THIS RPT BECAUSE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE MTR SYS. WHILE CRUISING AT 110 KTS FROM PRESCOTT, AZ, TO WICKENBURG, AZ, AT 8500 FT MSL, I BEGAN A DSCNT TO 6500 FT TO FLY BELOW THE GLADDEN MOA. AT 7000 FT MSL, I ENCOUNTERED A FLT OF 4 F16'S. THE FIRST F16 I SAW WAS COMING DIRECTLY AT ME FROM LOW ALT WITH NO LINE OF SIGHT -- WHICH FROM MY TRAINING AS A FIGHTER PLT, HE IS GOING TO HIT ME UNLESS THE LINE OF SIGHT STARTS MOVING. HE WAS COMING TOWARD ME FROM L TO R -- ASPECT ANGLE WAS 90 DEGS. I WAS XING THEIR FLT PATH AT A 90 DEG ANGLE. I INITIALLY STARTED A CLB AND THEN PULLED ON THE YOKE AS HARD AS I COULD. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HIT AND I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED IN AN AIRPLANE -- AFTER OVER 1300 MISSIONS IN THE F16 THAT IS A STRONG STATEMENT BECAUSE YOU SEE A LOT OF SCARY STUFF AS A FIGHTER PLT (YOU JUST GET OVER IT). AFTER LNDG, I INVESTIGATED FURTHER BY FIRST CALLING THE COMMAND POST AT LUKE AND FINDING OUT WHO WAS ON VR245. THERE WAS ONLY 1 FLT BOOKED ON THE RTE AND IT WAS A LAST MIN CHANGE BEFORE THE PLTS STEPPED TO FLY. THE FLT BOOKED ON THE RTE WAS FLT FROM A FIGHTER SQUADRON. I VISITED THE SQUADRON AND INVESTIGATED FURTHER. AFTER THE COMMANDER FOUND OUT IT WAS ME THAT WAS THE CIVILIAN PLT, THEY ASKED ME TO STOP INVESTIGATING AND NOT FILE A RPT. THEY SAID THEY HAD REVIEWED THE F16 PLT'S HUD VIDEO TAPE AND THE PLT DID NOT CLOSE WITHIN 2300 FT SLANT RANGE. THEY ALSO WOULD NOT LET ME SEE THE TAPE. AFTER OVER 1800 HRS AND 1300 MISSIONS IN THE F16, I ESTIMATE OUR MISS DISTANCE WAS 300 FT HORIZ AND 100 FT VERT. I ALSO HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE F16B RADAR AND KNOW THAT THE RADAR WILL BREAK LOCK ONCE THE TARGET IS GIMBALED. THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT 2300 FT SLANT RANGE WHEN THE RADAR BROKE LOCK, BUT THEY CONTINUED TO A CLOSER RANGE THAT WAS AN UNSAFE DISTANCE. SO UNSAFE THAT THEY MADE ME PULL THE YOKE FOR ALL IT WOULD GIVE ME. IN ADDITION, THEY EXITED THE CONFINES OF THE MTR TO INTERCEPT ME. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT UNCOMMON. IT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR FIGHTER PLTS TO INTERCEPT CIVILIANS TO PRACTICE VISUAL IDENT WHILE FLYING MTR'S AND MOA'S. ACCORDING TO THE FIGHTER WING STANDARDIZATION AND EVALUATION OFFICE, MIL PLTS ARE FREE TO INTERCEPT CIVILIANS AS LONG AS THEY STAY OUTSIDE OF A 500 FT BUBBLE AROUND THE TARGET ACFT. TO ME, THIS IS WRONG AND IN VIOLATION OF THE FARS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.