ZHU handoff controller concerned with observed military pilot action without complete and coordinate...

Attributes
ACN	502907
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : minow
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hornet (F-18)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : non radar controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller limited radar : 9 controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 8 controller time certified in position1 : 3.8 flight time total : 80
ASRS Report	502907
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : non radar controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : exit altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Shortly after assuming the d-side non radar position at the ZHU oceanic sector #72, #79 and #28 combined, I was alerted by the radar controller that military X (an F18 from rnd to nqx via minow intersection) had descended without a clearance from FL410 to FL270. The pilot had been advised radar service terminated and issued a communication change to contact ZMA over minow intersection on 133.9. Military X was on an IFR flight plan and had been coordinated as non radar estimating minow at XP18Z at FL410. As I was coordinating information of flight plans, I did not hear the actual radio communication between the radar controller and the pilot. I was just advised of the illegal altitude change and asked about non radar traffic. On this given day, we were receiving radar data from tindell and that is why the radar controller was able to see the altitude change. Being extremely busy, I only looked for traffic at FL270 and coordinated the new altitude with miami after I deemed it safe. The area where aircraft was is not certified for radar separation and because of this, separation could not have been legally maintained with en route non radar aircraft during the descent. This was a pilot deviation by a military aircraft. Working the oceanic sector with the numerous warnings areas and dealing with the military, I did not find this action as uncommon. As I started my career at ZDV, I can honesty say that the overall disregard for rules by military pilots within ZHU airspace is markedly more common here. I cannot answer why I have more problems with the military pilots here than I did at ZDV, but I speak of this with 5 yrs experience here at houston and approximately 5 yrs at denver. The only correction to this problem would come from the military maybe realizing that the gulf of mexico is extremely busy compared to even a couple of yrs ago and treating the airspace with a little respect rather than the playground it may have been yrs ago.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU HDOF CTLR CONCERNED WITH OBSERVED MIL PLT ACTION WITHOUT COMPLETE AND COORDINATED CHANGES IN IFR CLRNC WHILE OPERATING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER ASSUMING THE D-SIDE NON RADAR POS AT THE ZHU OCEANIC SECTOR #72, #79 AND #28 COMBINED, I WAS ALERTED BY THE RADAR CTLR THAT MIL X (AN F18 FROM RND TO NQX VIA MINOW INTXN) HAD DSNDED WITHOUT A CLRNC FROM FL410 TO FL270. THE PLT HAD BEEN ADVISED RADAR SVC TERMINATED AND ISSUED A COM CHANGE TO CONTACT ZMA OVER MINOW INTXN ON 133.9. MIL X WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND HAD BEEN COORDINATED AS NON RADAR ESTIMATING MINOW AT XP18Z AT FL410. AS I WAS COORDINATING INFO OF FLT PLANS, I DID NOT HEAR THE ACTUAL RADIO COM BTWN THE RADAR CTLR AND THE PLT. I WAS JUST ADVISED OF THE ILLEGAL ALT CHANGE AND ASKED ABOUT NON RADAR TFC. ON THIS GIVEN DAY, WE WERE RECEIVING RADAR DATA FROM TINDELL AND THAT IS WHY THE RADAR CTLR WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ALT CHANGE. BEING EXTREMELY BUSY, I ONLY LOOKED FOR TFC AT FL270 AND COORDINATED THE NEW ALT WITH MIAMI AFTER I DEEMED IT SAFE. THE AREA WHERE ACFT WAS IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR RADAR SEPARATION AND BECAUSE OF THIS, SEPARATION COULD NOT HAVE BEEN LEGALLY MAINTAINED WITH ENRTE NON RADAR ACFT DURING THE DSCNT. THIS WAS A PLTDEV BY A MIL ACFT. WORKING THE OCEANIC SECTOR WITH THE NUMEROUS WARNINGS AREAS AND DEALING WITH THE MIL, I DID NOT FIND THIS ACTION AS UNCOMMON. AS I STARTED MY CAREER AT ZDV, I CAN HONESTY SAY THAT THE OVERALL DISREGARD FOR RULES BY MIL PLTS WITHIN ZHU AIRSPACE IS MARKEDLY MORE COMMON HERE. I CANNOT ANSWER WHY I HAVE MORE PROBS WITH THE MIL PLTS HERE THAN I DID AT ZDV, BUT I SPEAK OF THIS WITH 5 YRS EXPERIENCE HERE AT HOUSTON AND APPROX 5 YRS AT DENVER. THE ONLY CORRECTION TO THIS PROB WOULD COME FROM THE MIL MAYBE REALIZING THAT THE GULF OF MEXICO IS EXTREMELY BUSY COMPARED TO EVEN A COUPLE OF YRS AGO AND TREATING THE AIRSPACE WITH A LITTLE RESPECT RATHER THAN THE PLAYGROUND IT MAY HAVE BEEN YRS AGO.

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.

ZHU handoff controller concerned with observed military pilot action without complete and coordinated changes in IFR clearance while operating in the gulf of mexico.