Narrative:

I departed denver centennial (apa) on a VFR flight to aurora (01V). My departure runway was 17R. I flew directly south on a climb out for about 2 mi. I then turned directly east and continued my climb to about 7300 MSL. I chose 7300 MSL to remain below the den TCA. During my climb I keyed aurora into my LORAN and I believe it read 011 bearing 'to.' I turned northeast to the bearing and continued flight at 7300. I then visually determined my position as west and north of the aurora reservoir. I scanned the sky and at first saw no other traffic. When I was about 5 mi off the end of buckley I saw the first of about 5 military fgts. The first passed at high speed perpendicular in front and about 1000 ft over my nose on what appeared to be a left downwind for runway 14 buckley. Another 2 or 3 fgts were right behind him. I immediately made a diving right turn and headed towards aurora reservoir. At the same time, I executed my diving turn, I saw the last fgt on a head-on course but about 500-1000 ft above me. He hesitated a moment but we both broke right. I estimate our closest horizontal distance could have been about 1/2 mi. I proceeded to the reservoir, scanned the sky again, made a climbing left turn, and continued north to aurora. I do not know whether I incurred upon the buckley air traffic area. The buckley air traffic area is not marked on the den TCA chart. It is my opinion one cause of this potential incursion is the buckley air traffic area is not clearly marked on the TCA chart. It is not enough to say the buckley air traffic area is 3000 ft AGL and 5 statute mi from the geographical center of buckley because the geographical center of buckley is not clearly marked on the den TCA chart either. Without clear definition of the geographical center, the boundaries of the air traffic area cannot be determined. Therefore, if the buckley air traffic area were clearly marked, VFR pilots would understand the exact boundaries of the buckley air traffic area. VFR pilots can then remain clear of the buckley air traffic area. It is also my opinion that a cause for the potential conflict is what appeared to be the high speed of the fgts in the traffic pattern. The last fgt hesitated a moment before breaking left of me and high. Even if he was traveling at the maximum mandated 250 KTS below 10000 MSL, he appeared to be traveling fast for the traffic pattern at buckley. At that speed, our closure was approximately 400 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH MIL FGTS. PROX OF MIL FACILITY ATA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DENVER CENTENNIAL (APA) ON A VFR FLT TO AURORA (01V). MY DEP RWY WAS 17R. I FLEW DIRECTLY S ON A CLBOUT FOR ABOUT 2 MI. I THEN TURNED DIRECTLY E AND CONTINUED MY CLB TO ABOUT 7300 MSL. I CHOSE 7300 MSL TO REMAIN BELOW THE DEN TCA. DURING MY CLB I KEYED AURORA INTO MY LORAN AND I BELIEVE IT READ 011 BEARING 'TO.' I TURNED NE TO THE BEARING AND CONTINUED FLT AT 7300. I THEN VISUALLY DETERMINED MY POS AS W AND N OF THE AURORA RESERVOIR. I SCANNED THE SKY AND AT FIRST SAW NO OTHER TFC. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 MI OFF THE END OF BUCKLEY I SAW THE FIRST OF ABOUT 5 MIL FGTS. THE FIRST PASSED AT HIGH SPD PERPENDICULAR IN FRONT AND ABOUT 1000 FT OVER MY NOSE ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14 BUCKLEY. ANOTHER 2 OR 3 FGTS WERE RIGHT BEHIND HIM. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A DIVING R TURN AND HEADED TOWARDS AURORA RESERVOIR. AT THE SAME TIME, I EXECUTED MY DIVING TURN, I SAW THE LAST FGT ON A HEAD-ON COURSE BUT ABOUT 500-1000 FT ABOVE ME. HE HESITATED A MOMENT BUT WE BOTH BROKE R. I ESTIMATE OUR CLOSEST HORIZ DISTANCE COULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 1/2 MI. I PROCEEDED TO THE RESERVOIR, SCANNED THE SKY AGAIN, MADE A CLBING L TURN, AND CONTINUED N TO AURORA. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER I INCURRED UPON THE BUCKLEY ATA. THE BUCKLEY ATA IS NOT MARKED ON THE DEN TCA CHART. IT IS MY OPINION ONE CAUSE OF THIS POTENTIAL INCURSION IS THE BUCKLEY ATA IS NOT CLRLY MARKED ON THE TCA CHART. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY THE BUCKLEY ATA IS 3000 FT AGL AND 5 STATUTE MI FROM THE GEOGRAPHICAL CTR OF BUCKLEY BECAUSE THE GEOGRAPHICAL CTR OF BUCKLEY IS NOT CLRLY MARKED ON THE DEN TCA CHART EITHER. WITHOUT CLR DEFINITION OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CTR, THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ATA CANNOT BE DETERMINED. THEREFORE, IF THE BUCKLEY ATA WERE CLRLY MARKED, VFR PLTS WOULD UNDERSTAND THE EXACT BOUNDARIES OF THE BUCKLEY ATA. VFR PLTS CAN THEN REMAIN CLR OF THE BUCKLEY ATA. IT IS ALSO MY OPINION THAT A CAUSE FOR THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT IS WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE HIGH SPD OF THE FGTS IN THE TFC PATTERN. THE LAST FGT HESITATED A MOMENT BEFORE BREAKING L OF ME AND HIGH. EVEN IF HE WAS TRAVELING AT THE MAX MANDATED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 MSL, HE APPEARED TO BE TRAVELING FAST FOR THE TFC PATTERN AT BUCKLEY. AT THAT SPD, OUR CLOSURE WAS APPROX 400 KTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.