A PIPER SENECA MEL INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION FLT TAXIED ONTO RWY FOR TKOF POS WHILE AN F16 IS ON SHORT FINAL. THE TWR CTLR NOTICED ERROR; ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE SENECA PLTS; AND INSTRUCTED THE SENECA TO CONTINUE ACROSS RWY AS THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS METHOD TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE MIL F16.

2000-05 · NASA ASRS report 472546

Date: 2000-05 · Aircraft: Fighting Falcon F16

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

A PIPER SENECA MEL INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION FLT TAXIED ONTO RWY FOR TKOF POS WHILE AN F16 IS ON SHORT FINAL. THE TWR CTLR NOTICED ERROR; ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE SENECA PLTS; AND INSTRUCTED THE SENECA TO CONTINUE ACROSS RWY AS THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS METHOD TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE MIL F16.

Narrative

MIL (F16) WAS ON A TURN FROM L DOWNWIND TO L BASE FOR AN OPTION APCH FROM INITIAL FOR RWY 21L. SENECA SMA CALLED ME (LCL 1) READY FOR DEP. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE SENECA'S XMISSION. I PICKED UP THE BINOCULARS TO WATCH ANOTHER ACFT LNDG THE PARALLEL RWY; THEN TO FIND ANOTHER ACFT ENTERING THE PATTERN. I PUT DOWN THE BINOCULARS; THEN LOOKED BACK TO RWY 21L AND OBSERVED SMA HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND HAD ENTERED THE RWY (RWY 21L). MIL WAS NOW ON SHORT FINAL IN THE FLARE. I QUICKLY TOLD SMA TO TAXI ACROSS THE RWY IMMEDIATELY. HE HAD NOT YET MADE A TURN TO POINT THE ACFT DOWN THE RWY. IN MY MIND; IT WAS BETTER FOR ME TO TELL THE SENECA TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE RWY FIRST TO KEEP HIS MOMENTUM GOING FORWARD. I THOUGHT THAT WOULD GIVE BOTH PLTS A BETTER CHANCE TO AVOID A COLLISION AS OPPOSED TO SAYING 'GO AROUND' TO THE F16. I THOUGHT THE F16 WAS TOO CLOSE (IN HT) TO THE RWY AT THAT TIME TO AVOID THE SENECA. THE SENECA PWRED UP AND CONTINUED ACROSS THE RWY. THE F16 PASSED SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE SENECA AT APPROX 50 FT AGL. THIS IS BEING PURSUED AS ONLY A PLTDEV. THIS COULD HAVE ENDED TRAGICALLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472549: THE RWY INCURSION OCCURRED DURING MY MULTI ENG INSTRUCTOR CHK RIDE WITH AN FAA EXAMINER. HE WAS IN THE L SEAT WHILE I WAS IN THE R. WE HAD NOT DISCUSSED; PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE FLT; WHO WOULD MAKE THE RADIO CALLS. AFTER I HAD FINISHED THE RUN-UP; THE EXAMINER CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE READY FOR TKOF AT RWY 21L FOR L TFC PATTERN TO DO 2 TOUCH-AND-GOES. THE TWR THEN RESPONDED ROGER; AND THEN IMMEDIATELY TOLD AN F16 HE OR SHE WAS CLRED FOR RWY 21L AND L TFC PATTERN. THE CALL SIGN OF THE F16 ENDED SIMILAR IN SOUND TO MINE. THE F16 ENDED IN XA AND MINE WAS YA. SO I CALLED BACK UP TO TWR AND SAID SMA Y CLRED FOR TKOF AT RWY 21L. I THEN TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AFTER NOT HEARING A RESPONSE. THE PLANE DURING RUN-UP WAS FACING DOWN THE RWY SO; AS I TURNED TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY; I WAS UNABLE TO SEE DOWN THE RWY FINAL. AS I WAS TAXIING ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE; I WAS TRYING TO EVEN OUT MY RPM'S WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SEE DOWN FINAL. I SAW AN F16 TURNING BASE TO FINAL. THE EXAMINER AND I THEN REALIZED WE BETTER TAXI OFF THE RWY; SO WE CROSSED THE RWY AND CROSSED BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND THEN TURNED THE PLANE BACK AROUND TO FACE THE RWY. AFTER WE HAD TURNED AROUND; THE F16 CROSSED THE THRESHOLD FOR A LOW APCH. I BELIEVE THE PROB FIRST AROSE WHEN IT WAS NOT MADE CLR BTWN THE EXAMINER AND I WHO WOULD BE MAKING THE RADIO CALLS. THE REASON TWR DID NOT HEAR ME SAY WE WERE TAXIING ON THE RWY WAS THE EXAMINER AND I WERE PUSHING THE PUSH-TO-TALK AT THE SAME TIME; CANCELING EACH OTHER'S XMISSION OUT TO THE TWR. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST WITH ROGER AND DID NOT SAY HOLD SHORT LNDG TFC; BUT INSTEAD PROCEEDED TO TALK TO THE F16 WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN THROUGH THE STATIC. I SHOULD HAVE PAID CLOSER ATTN TO THE TWR'S XMISSION; BUT AT THE SAME TIME; I WAS SIMULATING TEACHING A STUDENT TO THE EXAMINER.

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

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