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M20P, after apparent tfr violation, is intercepted by military F18's whose engine wake turbulence causes momentary loss of aircraft control.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 570210 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200212 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : jen.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc tower : grk.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Hornet (F-18) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 570210 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry conflict : nmac inflight encounter : wake turbulence non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 50 vertical : 10 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While on VFR flight from erv to F18 at 3500 ft on a GPS direct route to glen rose VOR from erv, an near midair collision and inappropriate intercept with military aircraft occurred. My aircraft was overrun from below my right wing. The military aircraft appeared to execute a high wing-over after the near midair collision from below to return to my left side. I was quite startled. An additional F16 then appeared suddenly on my right wing. There was no rocking of wings or any hand signals. The military aircraft on my right wing then suddenly flew into my flight path and I encountered severe wake turbulence. The turbulence thrust me into the top of my cockpit, knocked off my headset, damaged my yoke mounted GPS and damaged a back seat. I was in fear of my life and quite disoriented for several mins. I made a call to gray approach to ask for assistance and explained that I had F16's on my wing. They directed me to ZFW, who gave me a discrete code and directed me to F18 airport. I do not believe, according to my aircraft navigation instruments, that I was in a tfr area and the intercept procedures used by the military were dangerous. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he admitted to explain and complain about the intercept event with the air force, but did not receive a return callback. Reporter believes that the changing tfr around crawford, tx, should be maintained at the expanded radius. Reporter believes that he was caught in the expanded tfr after he was airborne. He is aware that airspace changes can occur around crawford. The reporter still believes that the intercept was unnecessarily close and dangerous, and questions the military's understanding of jet engine turbulence on small aircraft integrity and ctlability.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20P, AFTER APPARENT TFR VIOLATION, IS INTERCEPTED BY MIL F18'S WHOSE ENG WAKE TURB CAUSES MOMENTARY LOSS OF ACFT CTL.
Narrative: WHILE ON VFR FLT FROM ERV TO F18 AT 3500 FT ON A GPS DIRECT RTE TO GLEN ROSE VOR FROM ERV, AN NMAC AND INAPPROPRIATE INTERCEPT WITH MIL ACFT OCCURRED. MY ACFT WAS OVERRUN FROM BELOW MY R WING. THE MIL ACFT APPEARED TO EXECUTE A HIGH WING-OVER AFTER THE NMAC FROM BELOW TO RETURN TO MY L SIDE. I WAS QUITE STARTLED. AN ADDITIONAL F16 THEN APPEARED SUDDENLY ON MY R WING. THERE WAS NO ROCKING OF WINGS OR ANY HAND SIGNALS. THE MIL ACFT ON MY R WING THEN SUDDENLY FLEW INTO MY FLT PATH AND I ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WAKE TURB. THE TURB THRUST ME INTO THE TOP OF MY COCKPIT, KNOCKED OFF MY HEADSET, DAMAGED MY YOKE MOUNTED GPS AND DAMAGED A BACK SEAT. I WAS IN FEAR OF MY LIFE AND QUITE DISORIENTED FOR SEVERAL MINS. I MADE A CALL TO GRAY APCH TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND EXPLAINED THAT I HAD F16'S ON MY WING. THEY DIRECTED ME TO ZFW, WHO GAVE ME A DISCRETE CODE AND DIRECTED ME TO F18 ARPT. I DO NOT BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO MY ACFT NAV INSTS, THAT I WAS IN A TFR AREA AND THE INTERCEPT PROCS USED BY THE MIL WERE DANGEROUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE ADMITTED TO EXPLAIN AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THE INTERCEPT EVENT WITH THE AIR FORCE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RETURN CALLBACK. RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE CHANGING TFR AROUND CRAWFORD, TX, SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AT THE EXPANDED RADIUS. RPTR BELIEVES THAT HE WAS CAUGHT IN THE EXPANDED TFR AFTER HE WAS AIRBORNE. HE IS AWARE THAT AIRSPACE CHANGES CAN OCCUR AROUND CRAWFORD. THE RPTR STILL BELIEVES THAT THE INTERCEPT WAS UNNECESSARILY CLOSE AND DANGEROUS, AND QUESTIONS THE MIL'S UNDERSTANDING OF JET ENG TURB ON SMALL ACFT INTEGRITY AND CTLABILITY.
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.