Narrative:

While working R58 today; I witnessed a very dangerous situation when a military aircraft violated my airspace during a military exercise. My sector is a north/south sector that works the bitho/cwrld arrival to mco; along with arrs to satellite airports and departures off of jax and sgj. During this military exercise; warning area W158A is active surface to FL450; the palatka MOA complex is active surface to FL240; and there is an altrv active block altitude FL190-FL230. This altrv runs east/west from palatka MOA to W158A; and serves as a corridor for military aircraft to transit from the warning area (aircraft carrier) to the MOA; and back. This active sua; and the aircraft in it; are worked by sealord control; a military radar unit. Because of the active altrv; all arrs to mco must be descended early to get under it; because if they are left to go over the top; they will not be able to make the crossing restr for mco approach. Normally controllers will issue a crossing restr of 25 mi north of omn at FL180 to ensure that arrs get under the altrv. Today; I was using 25 mi north of omn at 17000 ft; because I wanted to be absolutely sure my traffic cleared the altrv. During a position relief briefing; just after the relieving controller took over the frequencys from me; I noticed a military aircraft transiting the altrv had begun a descent out of FL190. I immediately informed the relieving controller; who issued traffic information to an airliner level at 17000 ft under the altrv. The airliner stated that they had the traffic; an flight attendant-18; in sight; and that it appeared that it had descended below him; then climbed back up. In the ARTCC; we observed the flight attendant-18 level off at FL180; and never noticed it descend below FL180. The targets merged on our scope with the flight attendant-18 at FL180 and the airliner at 17000 ft. No coordination was ever initiated by the military regarding this aircraft. We informed our supervisor of what had happened. He took no action at all. He did not call the military; he did nothing. We called sealord who stated that they thought it was bad mode C readout. I do not believe this to be the case. Every time the military conducts this operation; a similar situation occurs with at least 1 flight of fighters; sometimes more than once. This is an ongoing problem. This could have been a very bad situation. If I had given the standard restr of 25 mi north of omn at FL180; the targets of the military aircraft and the airliner would have merged at FL180. This could have easily resulted in a midair collision. The military needs to ensure that the aircraft under their control remain at their assigned and coordination altitudes. Management at ZJX needs to take action to correct and report this situation when it occurs. To my knowledge; this situation was never reported by my supervisors. This operational error and/or pilot deviation by the military was never followed up on by management. I fear that if this situation continues in this way; tragic consequences could someday result. This military operation needs to be moved to a less congested area. Currently; it has a huge impact on 2 departure and 1 arrival corridor into mco; an arrival and departure corridor into jax; and has a significant impact on many satellite airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING MIL ACFT UNAUTH AIRSPACE ENTRY EVENT; CITING POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH MCO ARRIVALS.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING R58 TODAY; I WITNESSED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN A MIL ACFT VIOLATED MY AIRSPACE DURING A MIL EXERCISE. MY SECTOR IS A N/S SECTOR THAT WORKS THE BITHO/CWRLD ARR TO MCO; ALONG WITH ARRS TO SATELLITE ARPTS AND DEPS OFF OF JAX AND SGJ. DURING THIS MIL EXERCISE; WARNING AREA W158A IS ACTIVE SURFACE TO FL450; THE PALATKA MOA COMPLEX IS ACTIVE SURFACE TO FL240; AND THERE IS AN ALTRV ACTIVE BLOCK ALT FL190-FL230. THIS ALTRV RUNS E/W FROM PALATKA MOA TO W158A; AND SERVES AS A CORRIDOR FOR MIL ACFT TO TRANSIT FROM THE WARNING AREA (ACFT CARRIER) TO THE MOA; AND BACK. THIS ACTIVE SUA; AND THE ACFT IN IT; ARE WORKED BY SEALORD CTL; A MIL RADAR UNIT. BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVE ALTRV; ALL ARRS TO MCO MUST BE DSNDED EARLY TO GET UNDER IT; BECAUSE IF THEY ARE LEFT TO GO OVER THE TOP; THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR FOR MCO APCH. NORMALLY CTLRS WILL ISSUE A XING RESTR OF 25 MI N OF OMN AT FL180 TO ENSURE THAT ARRS GET UNDER THE ALTRV. TODAY; I WAS USING 25 MI N OF OMN AT 17000 FT; BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE MY TFC CLRED THE ALTRV. DURING A POS RELIEF BRIEFING; JUST AFTER THE RELIEVING CTLR TOOK OVER THE FREQS FROM ME; I NOTICED A MIL ACFT TRANSITING THE ALTRV HAD BEGUN A DSCNT OUT OF FL190. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE RELIEVING CTLR; WHO ISSUED TFC INFO TO AN AIRLINER LEVEL AT 17000 FT UNDER THE ALTRV. THE AIRLINER STATED THAT THEY HAD THE TFC; AN FA-18; IN SIGHT; AND THAT IT APPEARED THAT IT HAD DSNDED BELOW HIM; THEN CLBED BACK UP. IN THE ARTCC; WE OBSERVED THE FA-18 LEVEL OFF AT FL180; AND NEVER NOTICED IT DSND BELOW FL180. THE TARGETS MERGED ON OUR SCOPE WITH THE FA-18 AT FL180 AND THE AIRLINER AT 17000 FT. NO COORD WAS EVER INITIATED BY THE MIL REGARDING THIS ACFT. WE INFORMED OUR SUPVR OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOOK NO ACTION AT ALL. HE DID NOT CALL THE MIL; HE DID NOTHING. WE CALLED SEALORD WHO STATED THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS BAD MODE C READOUT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE CASE. EVERY TIME THE MIL CONDUCTS THIS OP; A SIMILAR SITUATION OCCURS WITH AT LEAST 1 FLT OF FIGHTERS; SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONCE. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SITUATION. IF I HAD GIVEN THE STANDARD RESTR OF 25 MI N OF OMN AT FL180; THE TARGETS OF THE MIL ACFT AND THE AIRLINER WOULD HAVE MERGED AT FL180. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. THE MIL NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THE ACFT UNDER THEIR CTL REMAIN AT THEIR ASSIGNED AND COORD ALTS. MGMNT AT ZJX NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT AND RPT THIS SITUATION WHEN IT OCCURS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE; THIS SITUATION WAS NEVER RPTED BY MY SUPVRS. THIS OPERROR AND/OR PLTDEV BY THE MIL WAS NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON BY MGMNT. I FEAR THAT IF THIS SITUATION CONTINUES IN THIS WAY; TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES COULD SOMEDAY RESULT. THIS MIL OP NEEDS TO BE MOVED TO A LESS CONGESTED AREA. CURRENTLY; IT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON 2 DEP AND 1 ARR CORRIDOR INTO MCO; AN ARR AND DEP CORRIDOR INTO JAX; AND HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MANY SATELLITE ARPTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.