CONFLICT-INTERCOORD PROB.

Narrative

AT MID MORNING WE MET WITH FT SMITH; AR APCH AIR TFC AND THE FAYETTEVILLE; AR RADAR ENGINEER. WE DISCUSSED AND PLANNED THE FLT INSPECTION RTING AND FLT PROFILE REQUIRED TO COMMISSION THE FAYETTEVILLE; AR; ASR RADAR SITE. WE HAD CLR SKIES AND WOULD DO THE FLT CHK VFR WITH FT SMITH APCH PROVIDING ATC RADAR ADVISORY SVCS. FT SMITH APCH WOULD COORD WITH MEMPHIS ARTCC AND KANSAS CITY ARTCC FOR OUR FLT IN THEIR AIRSPACE. WE WOULD BE FLYING OUTBOUND AND INBOUND ON THE FAYETTEVILLE RADAR 360 DEGS BEARING AT THE PRESCRIBED ALTS FOR THE FLT CHK. THE FLT INSPECTION PROFILE REQUIRED US TO FLY THE 360 DEG BEARING AT 1000 FT; 2000 FT; 3000 FT; 5000 FT; 7000 FT; 10000 FT; 15000 FT; AND 20000 FT ABOVE RADAR SITE ELEVATION. (1900 FT MSL) EACH RUN WOULD GO OUT 40-65 NM FROM THE RADAR SITE. AT ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE INSPECTION; WE HAD COMPLETED RUNS AT 1000 FT; 2000 FT; 3000 FT AND 5000 FT. WE WERE OUTBOUND ON THE 7000 FT RUN (8900 FT MSL) WHEN WE OBSERVED A CLBING TWIN ENG COMMUTER ACFT 3000 FT BELOW AND AHEAD; SLIGHTLY L AND DIVERGING AT 20-25 DEGS. THE COMMUTER ACFT LEVELED OFF BELOW US ABOUT 500 FT AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 3/4 MI. WE ADVISED FT SMITH APCH THAT WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT. THE COMMUTER ACFT SUDDENLY MADE A R TURN TOWARD US. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A R CLBING 360 DEG TURN AWAY AND LOST SIGHT OF THE COMMUTER ACFT IN THE TURN. FT SMITH APCH ADVISED THAT THE TFC WAS CLR AND THAT ZME WANTED US ON THEIR FREQ. THE MEMPHIS CTLR WAS VERY ANGRY THAT WE WERE AT 8900 FT MSL AND NOT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE WERE AT AN ALT THAT HE NEEDED FOR THE COMMUTER ACFT AND THAT THE COMMUTER PLT WOULD NOT CLB TO OUR ALT. THE CTLR OFFERED AND WE ACCEPTED AN IFR BLOCK OF 8000-10000 FT AND CONTINUED IFR THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE RADAR CHK. FT SMITH APCH ADVISED LATER THAT THE MEMPHIS CTLR HAD A 'POINT OUT' ON OUR ACFT DURING THE INSPECTION. DURING FLT INSPECTIONS; FLT INSPECTION ACFT HAVE AN EXEMPTION TO FAR 91 CRUISING ALT RULES. THIS IS DUE TO THE DIFFERENT ALTS REQUIRED TO FLT INSPECT NAV FACILITIES. ALTHOUGH WE WERE VFR; I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MEMPHIS CTLR SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO CLB THE COMMUTER ACFT TO OUR ALT DUE TO OUR CLOSE PROX.