Narrative:

On jul/thu/02 at XA46, departed ZZZ with an aerial banner. The flight time was calculated at 1 hour 30 mins. 15 mins ahead of aircraft X departure, aircraft Z left ZZZ flying nearly the same route. At approximately XB02, aircraft Z contacted ZZZ1 and informed them they were inbound to ZZZ2. At this time, aircraft Z also called ZZZ1 to advise them they would be following aircraft Z route but would be 10-20 mins behind. Approximately XB12, aircraft X departed ZZZ3 for ZZZ2. Arriving in the vicinity of a small crowd of spectators at ZZZ2, aircraft X started to circle in a left turn as aircraft Z reported leaving the area for ZZZ4. The area of ZZZ2 is to be flown around in is a small area, therefore, the turn radius is small. You may enter and leave class D airspace at this location because it lies on the extreme north edge of ZZZ1 airspace. We have been asked to treat this airspace as under their control. At approximately XB26 I heard a radio call from aircraft Z stating 'you have 2 aircraft inbound to your location, same altitude.' having worked together for over 20 yrs, I knew exactly what this meant and who it was directed at. I leveled the wings and was head-on with a military B1 bomber. By stopping the turn, I concluded if the B1 bomber did not alter course to the left it would miss me by a narrow margin. There was no vertical clearance at all and the horizontal separation could be 100-1000 ft. I could not accurately judge this distance in such a short time span. The second B1 bomber was sighted and was not a factor. Had the pilot of aircraft Z not advised me of this traffic, I would have continued my turn and a midair would have been a certainty. Factors to be considered: approximately 30 mins prior to the departure of aircraft Z from ZZZ, called 3 locations to inquire if anyone had any information concerning this fly-by. 1) FSS. I asked for NOTAMS and any information on a military fly-by in the area. I indicated the newspaper mentioned a fly-by at ZZZ2 is this evening at XB27. They had no information on this. 2) ZZZ1 told the controller we had heard about this fly-by which appeared to be happening in his airspace. He had no knowledge of this and said he had no way of knowing. I indicated we would contact him approaching his airspace. 3) ZZZ5 approach control supervisor. I told him we would be operating over ZZZ2 at the same time as a fly-by had been mentioned by the newspaper. He seemed very indifferent to the situation. Said they had no information available but that was no man's land and be careful. A) the B1 bombers were in contact with ZZZ5 approach control at the time of the near midair collision. ZZZ1 tower was not advised of their approach. B) numerous turns had been made around this activity by aircraft Z and aircraft X prior to the B1 bomber's approach. Both aircraft have operating xponders with mode C. C) no change of heading or altitude occurred by the lead B1 bomber as he approached my position. There was no vertical separation. D) you cannot predicate air operations or flts on newspaper accounts which may never be read. It would be helpful when the military makes fly-overs at events if they could contact the controling FSS and advise them of their intentions and the approximately time they will be in the area. It does not have to be in the form of a NOTAM, just a heads-up for the local pilots operating in that airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it is 'common knowledge' that the B1 bombers are based at ZZZ4 AFB, but he 'cannot confirm it.' reporter stated that the B1 bombers were flying at his same altitude, 'approximately 1900 ft,' that they were flying at about 400 mph, and that this was the closest he had ever come to a midair collision. Reporter states that he was on the county executive airport tower frequency and received no advisory about the B1 aircraft. Reporter states that the tower advised him that they had no warning of the fly-over. Reporter stated that he had a meeting at the FSDO regarding the incident. Reporter also advised that he had given his story to the local media and that the incident was discussed on several television and radio programs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MIL ACFT IN CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON JUL/THU/02 AT XA46, DEPARTED ZZZ WITH AN AERIAL BANNER. THE FLT TIME WAS CALCULATED AT 1 HR 30 MINS. 15 MINS AHEAD OF ACFT X DEP, ACFT Z LEFT ZZZ FLYING NEARLY THE SAME RTE. AT APPROX XB02, ACFT Z CONTACTED ZZZ1 AND INFORMED THEM THEY WERE INBOUND TO ZZZ2. AT THIS TIME, ACFT Z ALSO CALLED ZZZ1 TO ADVISE THEM THEY WOULD BE FOLLOWING ACFT Z RTE BUT WOULD BE 10-20 MINS BEHIND. APPROX XB12, ACFT X DEPARTED ZZZ3 FOR ZZZ2. ARRIVING IN THE VICINITY OF A SMALL CROWD OF SPECTATORS AT ZZZ2, ACFT X STARTED TO CIRCLE IN A L TURN AS ACFT Z RPTED LEAVING THE AREA FOR ZZZ4. THE AREA OF ZZZ2 IS TO BE FLOWN AROUND IN IS A SMALL AREA, THEREFORE, THE TURN RADIUS IS SMALL. YOU MAY ENTER AND LEAVE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT THIS LOCATION BECAUSE IT LIES ON THE EXTREME N EDGE OF ZZZ1 AIRSPACE. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO TREAT THIS AIRSPACE AS UNDER THEIR CTL. AT APPROX XB26 I HEARD A RADIO CALL FROM ACFT Z STATING 'YOU HAVE 2 ACFT INBOUND TO YOUR LOCATION, SAME ALT.' HAVING WORKED TOGETHER FOR OVER 20 YRS, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THIS MEANT AND WHO IT WAS DIRECTED AT. I LEVELED THE WINGS AND WAS HEAD-ON WITH A MIL B1 BOMBER. BY STOPPING THE TURN, I CONCLUDED IF THE B1 BOMBER DID NOT ALTER COURSE TO THE L IT WOULD MISS ME BY A NARROW MARGIN. THERE WAS NO VERT CLRNC AT ALL AND THE HORIZ SEPARATION COULD BE 100-1000 FT. I COULD NOT ACCURATELY JUDGE THIS DISTANCE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME SPAN. THE SECOND B1 BOMBER WAS SIGHTED AND WAS NOT A FACTOR. HAD THE PLT OF ACFT Z NOT ADVISED ME OF THIS TFC, I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED MY TURN AND A MIDAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN A CERTAINTY. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED: APPROX 30 MINS PRIOR TO THE DEP OF ACFT Z FROM ZZZ, CALLED 3 LOCATIONS TO INQUIRE IF ANYONE HAD ANY INFO CONCERNING THIS FLY-BY. 1) FSS. I ASKED FOR NOTAMS AND ANY INFO ON A MIL FLY-BY IN THE AREA. I INDICATED THE NEWSPAPER MENTIONED A FLY-BY AT ZZZ2 IS THIS EVENING AT XB27. THEY HAD NO INFO ON THIS. 2) ZZZ1 TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS FLY-BY WHICH APPEARED TO BE HAPPENING IN HIS AIRSPACE. HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS AND SAID HE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING. I INDICATED WE WOULD CONTACT HIM APCHING HIS AIRSPACE. 3) ZZZ5 APCH CTL SUPVR. I TOLD HIM WE WOULD BE OPERATING OVER ZZZ2 AT THE SAME TIME AS A FLY-BY HAD BEEN MENTIONED BY THE NEWSPAPER. HE SEEMED VERY INDIFFERENT TO THE SIT. SAID THEY HAD NO INFO AVAILABLE BUT THAT WAS NO MAN'S LAND AND BE CAREFUL. A) THE B1 BOMBERS WERE IN CONTACT WITH ZZZ5 APCH CTL AT THE TIME OF THE NMAC. ZZZ1 TWR WAS NOT ADVISED OF THEIR APCH. B) NUMEROUS TURNS HAD BEEN MADE AROUND THIS ACTIVITY BY ACFT Z AND ACFT X PRIOR TO THE B1 BOMBER'S APCH. BOTH ACFT HAVE OPERATING XPONDERS WITH MODE C. C) NO CHANGE OF HDG OR ALT OCCURRED BY THE LEAD B1 BOMBER AS HE APCHED MY POS. THERE WAS NO VERT SEPARATION. D) YOU CANNOT PREDICATE AIR OPS OR FLTS ON NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS WHICH MAY NEVER BE READ. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WHEN THE MIL MAKES FLY-OVERS AT EVENTS IF THEY COULD CONTACT THE CTLING FSS AND ADVISE THEM OF THEIR INTENTIONS AND THE APPROX TIME THEY WILL BE IN THE AREA. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN THE FORM OF A NOTAM, JUST A HEADS-UP FOR THE LCL PLTS OPERATING IN THAT AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT IS 'COMMON KNOWLEDGE' THAT THE B1 BOMBERS ARE BASED AT ZZZ4 AFB, BUT HE 'CANNOT CONFIRM IT.' RPTR STATED THAT THE B1 BOMBERS WERE FLYING AT HIS SAME ALT, 'APPROX 1900 FT,' THAT THEY WERE FLYING AT ABOUT 400 MPH, AND THAT THIS WAS THE CLOSEST HE HAD EVER COME TO A MIDAIR COLLISION. RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS ON THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ARPT TWR FREQ AND RECEIVED NO ADVISORY ABOUT THE B1 ACFT. RPTR STATES THAT THE TWR ADVISED HIM THAT THEY HAD NO WARNING OF THE FLY-OVER. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD A MEETING AT THE FSDO REGARDING THE INCIDENT. RPTR ALSO ADVISED THAT HE HAD GIVEN HIS STORY TO THE LCL MEDIA AND THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DISCUSSED ON SEVERAL TELEVISION AND RADIO PROGRAMS.

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.