1 OF 2 F16 PLTS MADE AN ABRUPT CLB WHILE ON A SHORT FINAL FOR AN FLY-BY DUE TO A SEL CESSNA TURNING FINAL IN FRONT OF HIM. NMAC.

Date: 1997-10 · Aircraft: Fighting Falcon F16

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|other-unspecified

Synopsis

1 OF 2 F16 PLTS MADE AN ABRUPT CLB WHILE ON A SHORT FINAL FOR AN FLY-BY DUE TO A SEL CESSNA TURNING FINAL IN FRONT OF HIM. NMAC.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING AS #2 OF A 2-SHIP OF F16'S; WITH A MISSION OF PERFORMING A FLY-BY OVER RWY 30 AT HAF. ALL MIL AND CIVILIAN APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS WERE MET BEFOREHAND. OUR PLAN WAS TO FLY 'UP INITIAL' IN A LINE ABREAST FORMATION; WITH APPROX 4000 FT LATERAL SPACING; AND THEN PERFORM A 360 DEG OVERHEAD PATTERN WITH LOW APCHS TO FOLLOW. OUR RUN-IN ALT WAS PLANNED AT 500 FT AGL. WE ARRIVED ON STATION ON TIME AND ELECTED TO ORBIT WHILE AWAITING TWR'S COMPLETION OF CLRING THE PATTERN. WHEN ADVISED BY THE TWR THAT THE 'PATTERN WAS CLR;' WE COMMENCED OUR DSCNT TO 500 FT AGL AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE ARPT FROM OUR ORBIT AT APPROX 10 NM SSE. WHILE INBOUND WE AGGRESSIVELY DSNDED TO MISS A CHEROKEE AT 3500 FT MSL AND 4 NM SSE; AND PROCEEDED INBOUND. AT APPROX 1/2 MI; I PULLED UP AGGRESSIVELY TO AVOID A CESSNA (SMA) WHO HAD TURNED R BASE IN FRONT OF ME. (BY THE TIME OF MY PULL-UP; TWR HAD DIRECTED HIM TO 'TURN R' (E) AND MAKE R TFC.) TWR HAD DIRECTED ALL CIVIL TFC TO REMAIN CLR; BUT BECAUSE OF RADIO OVERLOAD; THIS ACFT MAY NOT HAVE HEARD. I ESTIMATE A 500 FT MISS. I RECOMMEND: NOTAM AIRFIELDS CLOSED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN FAST MIL FLY-OVERS WILL OCCUR. WHEN TWR SAYS THE PATTERN IS CLR; ENSURE CIVIL ACFT ARE ORBITING WELL OUT OF THE WAY.

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