37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 660033 |
Time | |
Date | 200506 |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : myf.airport |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | msl single value : 1600 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : myf.tower |
Operator | other |
Make Model Name | Hornet (F-18) |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Aircraft 2 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : myf.tower |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Cessna 152 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | descent : approach |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Experience | controller limited radar : 8 controller military : 1 controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 7 flight time total : 3.5 |
ASRS Report | 660033 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : military |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly |
Independent Detector | other controllera |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
Consequence | faa : investigated |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 1000 vertical : 100 |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was working the local control position in the tower. Socal TRACON (sct) coordinated an overflt by a flight of 5 F18 hornets. My ground controller took the coordination and restr the flight at or above 2000 ft MSL. She then advised me I had 2 aircraft in the closed traffic pattern on the north side of the airport; both working between 1200-2000 ft MSL. C152 and B376 were on downwind and final respectively; we observed the flight on our d-brite roughly 15 mi north of our airport; apparently orbiting. When they started their run; they passed miramar MCAS at 2100 ft MSL mode C indicated and in excess of 400 KTS ground speed. Just before the airspace boundary; the flight began descending into my traffic pattern altitudes. In the time it took for me to react and issue traffic alerts; the flight had passed in front of 2 of the aircraft in my pattern within approximately 1/4 mi horizontal and 100-200 ft vertical distance. I immediately contacted sct and asked what had happened to 2000 ft MSL restr. They restated that it was issued. I advised my supervisor that it appeared as if the pilots had committed a deviation. Then he; after some deliberation; called the sct area supervisor. Even after numerous incidents and accidents in my career since 1989; I was shaken to the point of requesting relief because I was unable to concentrate on my tfr. And had to leave the tower ca. Our supervisor met with me today to say that the event 'did not warrant logging.' from the record of conversation; quoting our operational supervisor; 'I immediately contacted the sct supervisor to report the matter and the supervisor acknowledged that the F18 flight had been restr to 2000 ft and the flight had our traffic on their radar and also visually.' I stated that if everyone felt that safety was not compromised; then the ARTS radar data position recordings; and the flight recorders from the F18 flight should be provided to investigate the proximity of all aircraft involved; and whether the deviation was reported to sct before they descended. Basically; this event needs to be investigated because safety was compromised; and no one in the FAA seems concerned about it at the time I am writing this report. As usual; no one cares because no one died. I guarantee if there had been an accident; I would be going through hell to explain my actions and why everything I did was right and correct; plus being drug tested. This agency makes a big show of how we are supposed to 'break the chain' and help prevent incidents and events like this one. So; instead of doing anything; we do nothing. When an employee pushes the issue; it is ignored. I guarantee that if the tables were reversed and a guy under my control did what the fighters did; I would be decertified and charged with some deviation or error. It really eradicates my confidence in my supervisor and management.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MYF CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING MIL OVERFLT THAT DSNDED BELOW APPROVED ALT AND CAUSED CONFLICT WITH 2 PATTERN ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS IN THE TWR. SOCAL TRACON (SCT) COORDINATED AN OVERFLT BY A FLT OF 5 F18 HORNETS. MY GND CTLR TOOK THE COORD AND RESTR THE FLT AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT MSL. SHE THEN ADVISED ME I HAD 2 ACFT IN THE CLOSED TFC PATTERN ON THE N SIDE OF THE ARPT; BOTH WORKING BTWN 1200-2000 FT MSL. C152 AND B376 WERE ON DOWNWIND AND FINAL RESPECTIVELY; WE OBSERVED THE FLT ON OUR D-BRITE ROUGHLY 15 MI N OF OUR ARPT; APPARENTLY ORBITING. WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR RUN; THEY PASSED MIRAMAR MCAS AT 2100 FT MSL MODE C INDICATED AND IN EXCESS OF 400 KTS GND SPD. JUST BEFORE THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARY; THE FLT BEGAN DSNDING INTO MY TFC PATTERN ALTS. IN THE TIME IT TOOK FOR ME TO REACT AND ISSUE TFC ALERTS; THE FLT HAD PASSED IN FRONT OF 2 OF THE ACFT IN MY PATTERN WITHIN APPROX 1/4 MI HORIZ AND 100-200 FT VERTICAL DISTANCE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED SCT AND ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO 2000 FT MSL RESTR. THEY RESTATED THAT IT WAS ISSUED. I ADVISED MY SUPVR THAT IT APPEARED AS IF THE PLTS HAD COMMITTED A DEV. THEN HE; AFTER SOME DELIBERATION; CALLED THE SCT AREA SUPVR. EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS IN MY CAREER SINCE 1989; I WAS SHAKEN TO THE POINT OF REQUESTING RELIEF BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON MY TFR. AND HAD TO LEAVE THE TWR CA. OUR SUPVR MET WITH ME TODAY TO SAY THAT THE EVENT 'DID NOT WARRANT LOGGING.' FROM THE RECORD OF CONVERSATION; QUOTING OUR OPERATIONAL SUPVR; 'I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE SCT SUPVR TO RPT THE MATTER AND THE SUPVR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE F18 FLT HAD BEEN RESTR TO 2000 FT AND THE FLT HAD OUR TFC ON THEIR RADAR AND ALSO VISUALLY.' I STATED THAT IF EVERYONE FELT THAT SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED; THEN THE ARTS RADAR DATA POS RECORDINGS; AND THE FLT RECORDERS FROM THE F18 FLT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO INVESTIGATE THE PROX OF ALL ACFT INVOLVED; AND WHETHER THE DEV WAS RPTED TO SCT BEFORE THEY DSNDED. BASICALLY; THIS EVENT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED; AND NO ONE IN THE FAA SEEMS CONCERNED ABOUT IT AT THE TIME I AM WRITING THIS RPT. AS USUAL; NO ONE CARES BECAUSE NO ONE DIED. I GUARANTEE IF THERE HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENT; I WOULD BE GOING THROUGH HELL TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS AND WHY EVERYTHING I DID WAS RIGHT AND CORRECT; PLUS BEING DRUG TESTED. THIS AGENCY MAKES A BIG SHOW OF HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO 'BREAK THE CHAIN' AND HELP PREVENT INCIDENTS AND EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE. SO; INSTEAD OF DOING ANYTHING; WE DO NOTHING. WHEN AN EMPLOYEE PUSHES THE ISSUE; IT IS IGNORED. I GUARANTEE THAT IF THE TABLES WERE REVERSED AND A GUY UNDER MY CTL DID WHAT THE FIGHTERS DID; I WOULD BE DECERTIFIED AND CHARGED WITH SOME DEV OR ERROR. IT REALLY ERADICATES MY CONFIDENCE IN MY SUPVR AND MGMNT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.