Narrative:

P-3C aircraft was cleared direct maden at 3000 ft MSL after a missed approach conducted for training at NAS jacksonville. Upon reaching maden; the P-3 conducted a right turn to parallel prior to making a right turn to commence the full arcing TACAN approach for runway 27. Upon commencing the approach and being established inbound on the 189 degree radial at 17 mi; an unknown civil aircraft flew out of a cloud approximately 200 ft in front of the P-3 flying eastbound. P-3 had no time to conduct evasive maneuvers and continued on course. Approach control was involved with a moderate traffic load and stated that they had not seen the unknown civil aircraft prior to the incident and only had intermittent radar contact after being notified of its position. The unknown civil aircraft was not talking on any of the P-3's monitored frequencys (VHF and UHF tuned to approach) and was not transmitting on a transponder; therefore; we assumed it to be VFR. No damage or loss of life was experienced. I believe that there were 2 causes of the near midair collision: 1) civil aircraft was operating in class east airspace VFR at 3000 ft. While this is allowed as per the far/aim; it did not remain within specified distances from clouds. This area of flying (just south of NAS jax and the surrounding area) continues to become more congested with the imminent arrival of more NAS jacksonville based P-3 squadrons and helicopter squadrons. Although military squadrons are aware of the rising traffic implications; civilian operators may not be quite as knowledgeable of the risks involved in operating VFR in the area surrounding NAS nip and vqq. My squadron is currently involved in trying to get a common VFR frequency for the area in order for military squadron's to deconflict; and our hope would be to have civilian VFR traffic also call their position (similar to unicom procedures). We are also investigating the possibility of a permanent NOTAM or something similar to notify traffic of the dangers of operating around NAS jacksonville. We would eventually like to establish an alert area around NAS jax similar to the alert area around pensacola; fl. 2) ATC was unable to discern the presence of the light civil aircraft. This is troubling due to the relatively high density light civil in and around jacksonville; fl. ATC seems to be saturated and/or their radar is not as discerning as it may need to be in order to safely control the airspace. We are concerned; however; with the perceived lack of quality flight following or the positive control in and around NAS jacksonville.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MILITARY PILOT DESCRIBED NMAC AT 3000 FT WITH UNREPORTED VFR AIRCRAFT WHILE CONDUCTING PRACTICE APPROACH PROCEDURES AT NIP; VOICING CONCERN REGARDING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE AREA.

Narrative: P-3C ACFT WAS CLRED DIRECT MADEN AT 3000 FT MSL AFTER A MISSED APCH CONDUCTED FOR TRAINING AT NAS JACKSONVILLE. UPON REACHING MADEN; THE P-3 CONDUCTED A R TURN TO PARALLEL PRIOR TO MAKING A R TURN TO COMMENCE THE FULL ARCING TACAN APCH FOR RWY 27. UPON COMMENCING THE APCH AND BEING ESTABLISHED INBOUND ON THE 189 DEG RADIAL AT 17 MI; AN UNKNOWN CIVIL ACFT FLEW OUT OF A CLOUD APPROX 200 FT IN FRONT OF THE P-3 FLYING EBOUND. P-3 HAD NO TIME TO CONDUCT EVASIVE MANEUVERS AND CONTINUED ON COURSE. APCH CTL WAS INVOLVED WITH A MODERATE TFC LOAD AND STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN THE UNKNOWN CIVIL ACFT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND ONLY HAD INTERMITTENT RADAR CONTACT AFTER BEING NOTIFIED OF ITS POS. THE UNKNOWN CIVIL ACFT WAS NOT TALKING ON ANY OF THE P-3'S MONITORED FREQS (VHF AND UHF TUNED TO APCH) AND WAS NOT XMITTING ON A XPONDER; THEREFORE; WE ASSUMED IT TO BE VFR. NO DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE WAS EXPERIENCED. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE 2 CAUSES OF THE NMAC: 1) CIVIL ACFT WAS OPERATING IN CLASS E AIRSPACE VFR AT 3000 FT. WHILE THIS IS ALLOWED AS PER THE FAR/AIM; IT DID NOT REMAIN WITHIN SPECIFIED DISTANCES FROM CLOUDS. THIS AREA OF FLYING (JUST S OF NAS JAX AND THE SURROUNDING AREA) CONTINUES TO BECOME MORE CONGESTED WITH THE IMMINENT ARR OF MORE NAS JACKSONVILLE BASED P-3 SQUADRONS AND HELI SQUADRONS. ALTHOUGH MIL SQUADRONS ARE AWARE OF THE RISING TFC IMPLICATIONS; CIVILIAN OPERATORS MAY NOT BE QUITE AS KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RISKS INVOLVED IN OPERATING VFR IN THE AREA SURROUNDING NAS NIP AND VQQ. MY SQUADRON IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN TRYING TO GET A COMMON VFR FREQ FOR THE AREA IN ORDER FOR MIL SQUADRON'S TO DECONFLICT; AND OUR HOPE WOULD BE TO HAVE CIVILIAN VFR TFC ALSO CALL THEIR POS (SIMILAR TO UNICOM PROCS). WE ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF A PERMANENT NOTAM OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO NOTIFY TFC OF THE DANGERS OF OPERATING AROUND NAS JACKSONVILLE. WE WOULD EVENTUALLY LIKE TO ESTABLISH AN ALERT AREA AROUND NAS JAX SIMILAR TO THE ALERT AREA AROUND PENSACOLA; FL. 2) ATC WAS UNABLE TO DISCERN THE PRESENCE OF THE LIGHT CIVIL ACFT. THIS IS TROUBLING DUE TO THE RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY LIGHT CIVIL IN AND AROUND JACKSONVILLE; FL. ATC SEEMS TO BE SATURATED AND/OR THEIR RADAR IS NOT AS DISCERNING AS IT MAY NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO SAFELY CTL THE AIRSPACE. WE ARE CONCERNED; HOWEVER; WITH THE PERCEIVED LACK OF QUALITY FLT FOLLOWING OR THE POSITIVE CTL IN AND AROUND NAS JACKSONVILLE.

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.