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Fgt pilot encountered IMC while attemtping to refuel during military exercise and climbed to VMC to avoid possible midair collision.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 95403 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198810 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fsm |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme tower : ord |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighter |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighter |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10600 |
| ASRS Report | 95403 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 2860 flight time type : 290 |
| ASRS Report | 95577 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
USN fgt X aircraft (flight of 2), participating in air force century coronet exercise run out of tinker AFB on the afternoon of 10/wed/88. At the conclusion of acm engagement section received vectors from airborne warning and control system aircraft to rendezvous with airborne mlt V trainer at FL210. Section was vectored into IMC conditions with at least 6 other aircraft in the vicinity. Communication with airborne warning and control system was next to impossible due to number of aircraft. Position of other aircraft was not known and all aircraft were IMC attempting to join on the same tanker. Because of deteriorating circumstances, high midair probability, and safety of flight the fgt's climbed to VMC at FL290 still receiving vectors from airborne warning and control system. Request was made to return to NAS dallas IFR at FL290 and was granted. Decision to climb to VMC was prudent, and sound considering midair threat. Perhaps should have squawked emergency but would do exactly the same thing again faced with those circumstances.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FGT PLT ENCOUNTERED IMC WHILE ATTEMTPING TO REFUEL DURING MIL EXERCISE AND CLIMBED TO VMC TO AVOID POSSIBLE MIDAIR COLLISION.
Narrative: USN FGT X ACFT (FLT OF 2), PARTICIPATING IN AIR FORCE CENTURY CORONET EXERCISE RUN OUT OF TINKER AFB ON THE AFTERNOON OF 10/WED/88. AT THE CONCLUSION OF ACM ENGAGEMENT SECTION RECEIVED VECTORS FROM AIRBORNE WARNING AND CTL SYS ACFT TO RENDEZVOUS WITH AIRBORNE MLT V TRAINER AT FL210. SECTION WAS VECTORED INTO IMC CONDITIONS WITH AT LEAST 6 OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. COM WITH AIRBORNE WARNING AND CTL SYS WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO NUMBER OF ACFT. POS OF OTHER ACFT WAS NOT KNOWN AND ALL ACFT WERE IMC ATTEMPTING TO JOIN ON THE SAME TANKER. BECAUSE OF DETERIORATING CIRCUMSTANCES, HIGH MIDAIR PROBABILITY, AND SAFETY OF FLT THE FGT'S CLBED TO VMC AT FL290 STILL RECEIVING VECTORS FROM AIRBORNE WARNING AND CTL SYS. REQUEST WAS MADE TO RETURN TO NAS DALLAS IFR AT FL290 AND WAS GRANTED. DECISION TO CLB TO VMC WAS PRUDENT, AND SOUND CONSIDERING MIDAIR THREAT. PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE SQUAWKED EMER BUT WOULD DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING AGAIN FACED WITH THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.