<< >> NASA ASRS Report 538322, February 2002

C172 instructor and student had less than comfortable separation with suspected military aircraft in ZJX class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	538322
Time
Date	200202
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hyw.airport
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 226 flight time total : 558 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	538322
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While flying with a student at 2000 ft from mao to hyw, student saw aircraft pass in front of our aircraft from left to right with no position lights/landing lights on. Beacon was operating, but made aircraft quite hard to see at night in reference to multiple lit towers. Aircraft was fast moving, and was gone as quickly as it was discovered. Therefore, evasive action was delayed, and then, not required. The lack of action to contact myr and inquire about aircraft was not taken, due to a quite shocked reaction by both pilots, and the agreement that the aircraft was, indeed, no longer a factor. In retrospect, we should have contacted ATC to determine at least type of aircraft. I believe it was quite possibly a military aircraft due to the gamecock MOA's being active on feb/wed/02, and the speed of such a low flying aircraft. The only reason my student saw the aircraft was due to its proximity, our landing lights shined on its fuselage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT HAD LESS THAN COMFORTABLE SEPARATION WITH SUSPECTED MIL ACFT IN ZJX CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING WITH A STUDENT AT 2000 FT FROM MAO TO HYW, STUDENT SAW ACFT PASS IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT FROM L TO R WITH NO POS LIGHTS/LNDG LIGHTS ON. BEACON WAS OPERATING, BUT MADE ACFT QUITE HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT IN REF TO MULTIPLE LIT TWRS. ACFT WAS FAST MOVING, AND WAS GONE AS QUICKLY AS IT WAS DISCOVERED. THEREFORE, EVASIVE ACTION WAS DELAYED, AND THEN, NOT REQUIRED. THE LACK OF ACTION TO CONTACT MYR AND INQUIRE ABOUT ACFT WAS NOT TAKEN, DUE TO A QUITE SHOCKED REACTION BY BOTH PLTS, AND THE AGREEMENT THAT THE ACFT WAS, INDEED, NO LONGER A FACTOR. IN RETROSPECT, WE SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED ATC TO DETERMINE AT LEAST TYPE OF ACFT. I BELIEVE IT WAS QUITE POSSIBLY A MIL ACFT DUE TO THE GAMECOCK MOA'S BEING ACTIVE ON FEB/WED/02, AND THE SPD OF SUCH A LOW FLYING ACFT. THE ONLY REASON MY STUDENT SAW THE ACFT WAS DUE TO ITS PROX, OUR LNDG LIGHTS SHINED ON ITS FUSELAGE.

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.