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Flight of 2 F16's; looking for a midair pit stop; lock on to a carj instead of the tanker which was on a parallel course.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 675943 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200510 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl single value : 22000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 675943 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 4000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Leading 2 ship of F16's and flowing to the tanker in ar-609. No vector from ARTCC; but locked a contact below our company 2 ship who was 'departing tanker.' apparently; I locked up the commuter instead of the tanker. I rejoined to about 1 mi before visually identing it as an airliner. Flew low and behind to de-conflict. No reaction noted by commuter. The tanker was on a parallel track north of this commuter. After reviewing the situation; I should have corrected the altitude earlier. I took over visually from 15-20 NM and dropped the radar information. I can't comment on TCAS since we don't have it. The gateway did not give me information which would have helped; but the altitude or communication with the tanker should have been enough. I took away from this: 1) don't trust any sensor completely. 2) correlate altitude better. 3) use aircraft/aircraft TACAN more effectively. It made sense at first check; but at later stages it would have differed from the radar range.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT OF 2 F16'S; LOOKING FOR A MIDAIR PIT STOP; LOCK ON TO A CARJ INSTEAD OF THE TANKER WHICH WAS ON A PARALLEL COURSE.
Narrative: LEADING 2 SHIP OF F16'S AND FLOWING TO THE TANKER IN AR-609. NO VECTOR FROM ARTCC; BUT LOCKED A CONTACT BELOW OUR COMPANY 2 SHIP WHO WAS 'DEPARTING TANKER.' APPARENTLY; I LOCKED UP THE COMMUTER INSTEAD OF THE TANKER. I REJOINED TO ABOUT 1 MI BEFORE VISUALLY IDENTING IT AS AN AIRLINER. FLEW LOW AND BEHIND TO DE-CONFLICT. NO REACTION NOTED BY COMMUTER. THE TANKER WAS ON A PARALLEL TRACK N OF THIS COMMUTER. AFTER REVIEWING THE SITUATION; I SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THE ALT EARLIER. I TOOK OVER VISUALLY FROM 15-20 NM AND DROPPED THE RADAR INFO. I CAN'T COMMENT ON TCAS SINCE WE DON'T HAVE IT. THE GATEWAY DID NOT GIVE ME INFO WHICH WOULD HAVE HELPED; BUT THE ALT OR COM WITH THE TANKER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH. I TOOK AWAY FROM THIS: 1) DON'T TRUST ANY SENSOR COMPLETELY. 2) CORRELATE ALT BETTER. 3) USE ACFT/ACFT TACAN MORE EFFECTIVELY. IT MADE SENSE AT FIRST CHK; BUT AT LATER STAGES IT WOULD HAVE DIFFERED FROM THE RADAR RANGE.
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.