MIL TRAINING FLT EXITS THE FALCON MOA; RESULTING IN A TFC CONFLICT WITH NON PARTICIPATING TFC.

Narrative

I WAS LEADING AN A10 2 SHIP ON A NIGHT VISION GOGGLE-AIDED NIGHT TRAINING MISSION. ZBW CLRED US INTO THE FALCON MOA FROM 9000 FT TO 17000 FT; WHILE I PUT A REQUEST TO GET THE ENTIRE MOA WHICH IS 6000 FT TO FL180. ONE OF MY TRAINING OBJECTIVES WAS TO DISCOVER HOW CLOSE/LOW I NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE A VEHICLE TYPE; IE; TRUCK; CAR; TANK; ARTILLERY PIECE; ETC. MY PREFLT GUESS WAS 6000-8000 FT AGL. ONCE IN THE MOA; I LOCATED OUR BRIEFED TRAINING TARGET (A BRIDGE) AND BEGAN A DSCNT FROM APPROX 13000 FT MSL WHILE LOOKING AT VEHICLES XING THE BRIDGE. MY PLAN WAS TO DSND UNTIL I COULD DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE I WAS LOOKING AT. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE I WAS LOOKING AT A CAR AT THE SAME TIME ZBW ASKED ME WHAT MY ALT WAS. I LOOKED UP AND SAW 7000 FT MSL; TOLD ZBW; AND STARTED A CLB BACK TO 9000 FT MSL. ZBW SAID 'NON PARTICIPATING TFC' WAS CONCERNED WITH HOW CLOSE I HAD GOTTEN. MY WINGMAN SAW HIM AND TOLD ME THIS TFC DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CLOSE (WITHIN 1 MI). HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I HAD PLANNED ON 6000 FT FLOOR. I HAD PLANNED MY TRAINING AROUND THAT; AND DID NOT CHANGE MY PLAN FOR THE NEW FLOOR OF 9000 FT. I GUESS I JUST FORGOT I WAS LIMITED TO 9000 FT. TASK SATURATION MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE TARGET; COORDINATE AIRSPACE; AND COORDINATE TACTICS AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE LOW ON GAS. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE WE HAD TO DEPART AND I WAS TRYING TO MEET MY OBJECTIVE PRIOR TO LEAVING. HOW TO PREVENT: THE A10 HAS AN ALT ALERT (AURAL TONE) FOR MSL AND AGL. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL USE THAT WHEN ON NIGHT VISION GOGGLE FLTS TO HELP ME. ALSO; I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN; BUT IF ZBW HAD TOLD ME I WAS LIMITED TO 9000 FT DUE TO TFC IN THE MOA CONFINES BELOW; I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN THAT ALT MORE THOUGHT.