Narrative:

My flight of 2 fighters were returning from the MOA with the lead aircraft declaring an emergency. We split the flight and the lead aircraft with the emergency landed uneventfully. I was told by tower to 'orbit overhead the field' while they were clearing the runway and performing a FOD check. While approximately 2 NM west of the field I spotted an air carrier and took evasive action to clear my flight path. I was then told by tower to remain inside the class D airspace. I was cleared for landing approximately 30 seconds later and landed uneventfully. Prior to switching to ground control; I was asked by tower if I had visual with that aircraft to which I replied that I was. Contributing factors: 1) first flight in the area. This had been my first flight since arriving at ZZZ. We had a course rules brief but it was not very informative but I felt that I had good situational awareness about the airspace around me and the approach corridor to ZZZ1. 2) ATC. ZZZ tower was not very clear on their communication to remain overhead the field. 3) emergency aircraft. Both myself and ZZZ tower were preoccupied with the emergency aircraft to perform our #1 job. I was in constant communication with my wingman as was tower. Perceptions: it was my perception when told to 'orbit overhead the field' that I was free to use the airspace at my discretion to maintain situational awareness to the emergency aircraft. I was also minimum fuel (bingo fuel plus approximately 10 mins) so was holding overhead at maximum endurance airspeed and monitoring fuel closely. I was aware that the approach corridor was just to the west of ZZZ and was attempting to stay to the east of the runway but found myself on the west side of the runway. Corrective actions: there are many factors that could have avoided this potential midair collision. A little better chart study on my part to have better situational awareness to the approach frequency and patterns of aircraft flying into ZZZ1. Had I also concentrated more on my primary duty of flying the aircraft other than becoming preoccupied with helping my wingman out with his emergency the close pass could have been avoided. As for ZZZ tower; I think had they provided better descriptive communication; for example 'call sign xx; hold overhead the field; remain inside of class D airspace and east of runway' I would have known exactly what they wanted me to do. Ultimately if I didn't know; I should have asked. I am just lucky that I did have visual of the aircraft and a potential midair was avoided.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FIGHTER ACFT ORBITING OVER ZZZ TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID COMMERCIAL ACFT ON APCH INTO ZZZ1.

Narrative: MY FLT OF 2 FIGHTERS WERE RETURNING FROM THE MOA WITH THE LEAD ACFT DECLARING AN EMER. WE SPLIT THE FLT AND THE LEAD ACFT WITH THE EMER LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I WAS TOLD BY TWR TO 'ORBIT OVERHEAD THE FIELD' WHILE THEY WERE CLRING THE RWY AND PERFORMING A FOD CHK. WHILE APPROX 2 NM W OF THE FIELD I SPOTTED AN ACR AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO CLR MY FLT PATH. I WAS THEN TOLD BY TWR TO REMAIN INSIDE THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I WAS CLRED FOR LNDG APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO GND CTL; I WAS ASKED BY TWR IF I HAD VISUAL WITH THAT ACFT TO WHICH I REPLIED THAT I WAS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FIRST FLT IN THE AREA. THIS HAD BEEN MY FIRST FLT SINCE ARRIVING AT ZZZ. WE HAD A COURSE RULES BRIEF BUT IT WAS NOT VERY INFORMATIVE BUT I FELT THAT I HAD GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ABOUT THE AIRSPACE AROUND ME AND THE APCH CORRIDOR TO ZZZ1. 2) ATC. ZZZ TWR WAS NOT VERY CLR ON THEIR COM TO REMAIN OVERHEAD THE FIELD. 3) EMER ACFT. BOTH MYSELF AND ZZZ TWR WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE EMER ACFT TO PERFORM OUR #1 JOB. I WAS IN CONSTANT COM WITH MY WINGMAN AS WAS TWR. PERCEPTIONS: IT WAS MY PERCEPTION WHEN TOLD TO 'ORBIT OVERHEAD THE FIELD' THAT I WAS FREE TO USE THE AIRSPACE AT MY DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO THE EMER ACFT. I WAS ALSO MINIMUM FUEL (BINGO FUEL PLUS APPROX 10 MINS) SO WAS HOLDING OVERHEAD AT MAX ENDURANCE AIRSPD AND MONITORING FUEL CLOSELY. I WAS AWARE THAT THE APCH CORRIDOR WAS JUST TO THE W OF ZZZ AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO STAY TO THE E OF THE RWY BUT FOUND MYSELF ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS POTENTIAL MIDAIR COLLISION. A LITTLE BETTER CHART STUDY ON MY PART TO HAVE BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO THE APCH FREQ AND PATTERNS OF ACFT FLYING INTO ZZZ1. HAD I ALSO CONCENTRATED MORE ON MY PRIMARY DUTY OF FLYING THE ACFT OTHER THAN BECOMING PREOCCUPIED WITH HELPING MY WINGMAN OUT WITH HIS EMER THE CLOSE PASS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AS FOR ZZZ TWR; I THINK HAD THEY PROVIDED BETTER DESCRIPTIVE COM; FOR EXAMPLE 'CALL SIGN XX; HOLD OVERHEAD THE FIELD; REMAIN INSIDE OF CLASS D AIRSPACE AND E OF RWY' I WOULD HAVE KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO. ULTIMATELY IF I DIDN'T KNOW; I SHOULD HAVE ASKED. I AM JUST LUCKY THAT I DID HAVE VISUAL OF THE ACFT AND A POTENTIAL MIDAIR WAS AVOIDED.

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.