Narrative:

On saturday, checked an on-line flight planner. Preflight included 'en route chart' which did not indicate tfr in the fort lauderdale area. WX was 'severe clear.' in the air from spg direct vnc at XA00 for breakfast. Did not check NOTAMS and departed vnc without flight plan filed. Intercepted by F-18 when flying in 'alert area A-291A concentrated flight training' (miami sectional). First pass happened around 3500 ft. He came up on my left side and turned right cutting into my flight path. I immediately looked at map and confirmed that we were in unrestr airspace. Also noticed that it was designated as alert area due to concentrated flight training. At the time, I interpreted that to mean military training and assumed that he was out training and possibly did not see us because of his close proximity and due to the fact that he made such a close turn and crossed my flight path at approximately 200 ft horizontal distance. In case he has onboard aircraft avoidance radar, I hit the identify on transponder so that our VFR 1200 would flash on his screen. I decided to descend to 1500 ft in order to avoid any midair conflicts. At second pass, again going under the thought that I was only in flight training area, I assumed that he was just hotdogging around us. He rocked his wings. I rocked ours, acknowledging that yes we saw him. He cut into our flight path again. Because he kept flying in front of our flight path (this time approximately 100 ft in front of us), we descended to about 900 ft in order to avoid him. At third pass, I made the decision to call mer 121.500. Standard intercept procedures call for intercept on left and then after acknowledgement, turns to the left to the proper heading -- not cutting into our path of flight. Because of this, as well as flight training area, I did not readily realize that he was trying to intercept us. Instead, I felt that he was just playing around. In summary, chain of events could have been avoided by not assuming that clear skies meant no NOTAM. When landing at vnc for breakfast, the preflight should have included contacting FSS to check again for NOTAM. My practice has always been to the flight plan no matter how far the distance. I feel that this was my reality check for returning back to the basics and file that flight plan. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that during his preflight, a tfr was not in place. Later, on his return, a tfr was in place. The fighter intercept maneuver would normally make a slow l-hand turn to the direction of vector. This inceptor did a hard right. After contacting ZMA on 121.5, the vectored direction was in the same direction as the fighters had taken him. During the phone call after landing at the intercept airport, the person on the phone stated that the tfr was established late and that a flight standards person may or may not call. To date no one has called the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT IN A TFR WAS INTERCEPTED BY AN F18 AND FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE ENCOUNTER AS AN INTERCEPT.

Narrative: ON SATURDAY, CHKED AN ON-LINE FLT PLANNER. PREFLT INCLUDED 'ENRTE CHART' WHICH DID NOT INDICATE TFR IN THE FORT LAUDERDALE AREA. WX WAS 'SEVERE CLR.' IN THE AIR FROM SPG DIRECT VNC AT XA00 FOR BREAKFAST. DID NOT CHK NOTAMS AND DEPARTED VNC WITHOUT FLT PLAN FILED. INTERCEPTED BY F-18 WHEN FLYING IN 'ALERT AREA A-291A CONCENTRATED FLT TRAINING' (MIAMI SECTIONAL). FIRST PASS HAPPENED AROUND 3500 FT. HE CAME UP ON MY L SIDE AND TURNED R CUTTING INTO MY FLT PATH. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT MAP AND CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE IN UNRESTR AIRSPACE. ALSO NOTICED THAT IT WAS DESIGNATED AS ALERT AREA DUE TO CONCENTRATED FLT TRAINING. AT THE TIME, I INTERPED THAT TO MEAN MIL TRAINING AND ASSUMED THAT HE WAS OUT TRAINING AND POSSIBLY DID NOT SEE US BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE PROX AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE MADE SUCH A CLOSE TURN AND CROSSED MY FLT PATH AT APPROX 200 FT HORIZ DISTANCE. IN CASE HE HAS ONBOARD ACFT AVOIDANCE RADAR, I HIT THE IDENT ON XPONDER SO THAT OUR VFR 1200 WOULD FLASH ON HIS SCREEN. I DECIDED TO DSND TO 1500 FT IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY MIDAIR CONFLICTS. AT SECOND PASS, AGAIN GOING UNDER THE THOUGHT THAT I WAS ONLY IN FLT TRAINING AREA, I ASSUMED THAT HE WAS JUST HOTDOGGING AROUND US. HE ROCKED HIS WINGS. I ROCKED OURS, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YES WE SAW HIM. HE CUT INTO OUR FLT PATH AGAIN. BECAUSE HE KEPT FLYING IN FRONT OF OUR FLT PATH (THIS TIME APPROX 100 FT IN FRONT OF US), WE DSNDED TO ABOUT 900 FT IN ORDER TO AVOID HIM. AT THIRD PASS, I MADE THE DECISION TO CALL MER 121.500. STANDARD INTERCEPT PROCS CALL FOR INTERCEPT ON L AND THEN AFTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, TURNS TO THE L TO THE PROPER HDG -- NOT CUTTING INTO OUR PATH OF FLT. BECAUSE OF THIS, AS WELL AS FLT TRAINING AREA, I DID NOT READILY REALIZE THAT HE WAS TRYING TO INTERCEPT US. INSTEAD, I FELT THAT HE WAS JUST PLAYING AROUND. IN SUMMARY, CHAIN OF EVENTS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY NOT ASSUMING THAT CLR SKIES MEANT NO NOTAM. WHEN LNDG AT VNC FOR BREAKFAST, THE PREFLT SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED CONTACTING FSS TO CHK AGAIN FOR NOTAM. MY PRACTICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO THE FLT PLAN NO MATTER HOW FAR THE DISTANCE. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS MY REALITY CHK FOR RETURNING BACK TO THE BASICS AND FILE THAT FLT PLAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT DURING HIS PREFLT, A TFR WAS NOT IN PLACE. LATER, ON HIS RETURN, A TFR WAS IN PLACE. THE FIGHTER INTERCEPT MANEUVER WOULD NORMALLY MAKE A SLOW L-HAND TURN TO THE DIRECTION OF VECTOR. THIS INCEPTOR DID A HARD R. AFTER CONTACTING ZMA ON 121.5, THE VECTORED DIRECTION WAS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FIGHTERS HAD TAKEN HIM. DURING THE PHONE CALL AFTER LNDG AT THE INTERCEPT ARPT, THE PERSON ON THE PHONE STATED THAT THE TFR WAS ESTABLISHED LATE AND THAT A FLT STANDARDS PERSON MAY OR MAY NOT CALL. TO DATE NO ONE HAS CALLED THE RPTR.

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.