AN LR60 FLC EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH A FLT OF 2 T33 MIL JETS. THE LR60 FLC HAD BEEN GIVEN AN ADVISORY; BUT WAS VECTORED TOWARD THE T33 ACFT. NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION. NMAC. FLC THEN THOUGHT THAT THEY MISUNDERSTOOD NEXT DSCNT CLRNC; AND CLBED BACK UP TO ORIGINAL ALT BEFORE QUERYING CTLR.

Date: 1996-03 · Aircraft: Learjet 60

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN LR60 FLC EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH A FLT OF 2 T33 MIL JETS. THE LR60 FLC HAD BEEN GIVEN AN ADVISORY; BUT WAS VECTORED TOWARD THE T33 ACFT. NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION. NMAC. FLC THEN THOUGHT THAT THEY MISUNDERSTOOD NEXT DSCNT CLRNC; AND CLBED BACK UP TO ORIGINAL ALT BEFORE QUERYING CTLR.

Narrative

TOWARD THE END OF A TEST FLT ON A NEW LEARJET MODEL 60; WE WERE RETURNING TO TUS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TUS APCH CTL; THEN CLRED TO FLY HDG 300 DEGS AND DSND FROM FL180 TO 9000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 16000 FT; WE WERE ISSUED A TA 'AT 10 O'CLOCK; 2 TARGETS 2 MI; ALT INDICATES 14500 FT AND 13800 FT.' I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD STOP OUR DSCNT AT 15000 FT. TUS APCH THEN CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 15000 FT WHICH WE DID. MY FO AND I WERE BOTH LOOKING FOR THE TFC WITH NO SUCCESS. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L TO HDG 280 DEGS. STILL LOOKING FOR THE TFC I COMMENCED TO TURN L. AS I WAS IN A 20 DEG L BANK A GRAY T33 FLEW PAST US OPPOSITE DIRECTION WINGTIP TO WINGTIP AT AN ESTIMATED 75 FT. THE SECOND T33 WENT BY SEVERAL SECONDS LATER AT A GREATER SEPARATION. I RPTED THE NEAR MISS TO TUS APCH. I FEEL THAT IF WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE TFC WAS 'FAST MOVING' OR WE WERE NOT TURNED L INTO IT; THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AFTER THE INCIDENT WE WERE CLRED (I THINK) TO DSND TO 8000 FT. AFTER STARTING THE DSCNT; I CLBED BACK TO 15000 FT AND VERIFIED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DSND; THEN RESUMED THE DSCNT. THE FACT THAT WE WERE RATTLED BY THE NEAR MISS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION WITH THE DSCNT CLRNC.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.