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U90 controller vectoring an inbound flight of military jets conflicted with a departure flight of military jets at 10000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 705413 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tus.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : u90.tracon |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : tus.tracon |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Experience | controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 705413 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
The first aircraft; a flight of 2 F16's; flight X; was inbound to tus airport for the overhead. They were given a heading and altitude for pattern entry and traffic. The second aircraft; flight Y flight of 3 F16's outbound to a MOA northeast of airport. They were climbing to 17000 ft and were turned to a point for route entry. During this time a relief briefing was going on and I was following the checklist. Flight Y was given a turn to hubee and took a short time to start his turn. At the same time another aircraft was continuing inbound. The aircraft were too close together. The relieving controller took steps to keep them apart; but it seemed that it was too late. Part of the problem in causing the incident was the delay in flight Y taking his turn and another part was not using a paper stop of altitude for flight Y as well. Additionally; using my experience with the performance characteristics of F16's instead of seeing what really was happening in this situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: U90 CTLR VECTORING AN INBOUND FLT OF MIL JETS CONFLICTED WITH A DEP FLT OF MIL JETS AT 10000 FT.
Narrative: THE FIRST ACFT; A FLT OF 2 F16'S; FLT X; WAS INBOUND TO TUS ARPT FOR THE OVERHEAD. THEY WERE GIVEN A HDG AND ALT FOR PATTERN ENTRY AND TFC. THE SECOND ACFT; FLT Y FLT OF 3 F16'S OUTBOUND TO A MOA NE OF ARPT. THEY WERE CLBING TO 17000 FT AND WERE TURNED TO A POINT FOR RTE ENTRY. DURING THIS TIME A RELIEF BRIEFING WAS GOING ON AND I WAS FOLLOWING THE CHKLIST. FLT Y WAS GIVEN A TURN TO HUBEE AND TOOK A SHORT TIME TO START HIS TURN. AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER ACFT WAS CONTINUING INBOUND. THE ACFT WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE RELIEVING CTLR TOOK STEPS TO KEEP THEM APART; BUT IT SEEMED THAT IT WAS TOO LATE. PART OF THE PROB IN CAUSING THE INCIDENT WAS THE DELAY IN FLT Y TAKING HIS TURN AND ANOTHER PART WAS NOT USING A PAPER STOP OF ALT FOR FLT Y AS WELL. ADDITIONALLY; USING MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF F16'S INSTEAD OF SEEING WHAT REALLY WAS HAPPENING IN THIS SITUATION.
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.