Narrative:

Moffett WX is clear visibility 6 mi haze, runways 32 in use, all navaids are up and ATIS is up, a C135 is 26 mi southeast of moffett on an ILS full stop to runway 32R. A H60 radios moffett tower and reports over dumbarton bridge and requests to fly over moffett airport VFR at 2000 ft for a VFR practice runway 32 ILS approach. Note: moffett tower class D airspace is 4.2 NM radius of moffett up to 1500 ft AGL. Dumbarton bridge is 6 mi northwest of moffett. Moffett controller thinks H60 is at 2000 ft but H60 is really at 500 ft. Moffett controller immediately tells H60 that our tower has negative radar, contact bay approach on 121.3 now. Tower controller fails to tell H60 remain outside moffett class D airspace until approved by bay approach or tower. Tower does not have landline to bay approach to tell bay of H60 target over bridge, 6 mi northwest. H60 radios bay on 121.3 but bay is busy on landline and misses radio call. H60 and bay make initial radio contact. H60 tells bay, 'I am at end of moffett at 500 ft' and request ILS runway 32 approach to a full stop moffett.' bay tells H60, 'squawk XXXX and identify.' (note: tower does not have H60 in sight and bay does not landline tower to exchange traffic.) note: tower controller thinks H60 is at 2000 ft somewhere near moffett. Bay approach tells H60 to, 'squawk XXXX.' (bay still never calls moffett on hotline.) bay tells H60, 'radar contact 1 mi south of moffett.' the C135 (which had been cleared to land by moffett tower while about 6 mi final runway 32R asks moffett tower, 'tower you got any other traffic out in this area? Looks like we got a chopper off our nose here.' moffett tower asks 'H-60, moffett tower, you on?' query met with silence. Tower now visually sees both aircraft. H60 crosses runway 32R final approach path from southeast to southwest, tower supervisor keys up, landline to san jose tower, san jose tower informs moffett the H60 is at 1600 ft. Bay approach asks H60, 'do you have the traffic 12 O'clock, 2 mi, opposite direction, a C-135?' H60 replies, 'we have traffic in sight at this time and we are turning away from it.' I propose a new rule be written into FAA handbook 7110.65 (ATC manual) instructing radar controllers to immediately coordinate with the appropriate non-radar tower when they first pickup (initial 2-WAY radio contact) on any aircraft within a class D airspace, or about to enter a class D airspace to include any aircraft within 1000 ft of the ceiling of class D airspace. Example: moffett class D ceiling is 1500 ft AGL. New rule would instruct approach controllers to point out all traffic at 2500 ft AGL or below over class D airspace upon initial 2-WAY radio contact. This rule needs adoption nationwide.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE CLASS D HAD CONFLICT WITH MIL C135. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: MOFFETT WX IS CLR VISIBILITY 6 MI HAZE, RWYS 32 IN USE, ALL NAVAIDS ARE UP AND ATIS IS UP, A C135 IS 26 MI SE OF MOFFETT ON AN ILS FULL STOP TO RWY 32R. A H60 RADIOS MOFFETT TWR AND RPTS OVER DUMBARTON BRIDGE AND REQUESTS TO FLY OVER MOFFETT ARPT VFR AT 2000 FT FOR A VFR PRACTICE RWY 32 ILS APCH. NOTE: MOFFETT TWR CLASS D AIRSPACE IS 4.2 NM RADIUS OF MOFFETT UP TO 1500 FT AGL. DUMBARTON BRIDGE IS 6 MI NW OF MOFFETT. MOFFETT CTLR THINKS H60 IS AT 2000 FT BUT H60 IS REALLY AT 500 FT. MOFFETT CTLR IMMEDIATELY TELLS H60 THAT OUR TWR HAS NEGATIVE RADAR, CONTACT BAY APCH ON 121.3 NOW. TWR CTLR FAILS TO TELL H60 REMAIN OUTSIDE MOFFETT CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL APPROVED BY BAY APCH OR TWR. TWR DOES NOT HAVE LANDLINE TO BAY APCH TO TELL BAY OF H60 TARGET OVER BRIDGE, 6 MI NW. H60 RADIOS BAY ON 121.3 BUT BAY IS BUSY ON LANDLINE AND MISSES RADIO CALL. H60 AND BAY MAKE INITIAL RADIO CONTACT. H60 TELLS BAY, 'I AM AT END OF MOFFETT AT 500 FT' AND REQUEST ILS RWY 32 APCH TO A FULL STOP MOFFETT.' BAY TELLS H60, 'SQUAWK XXXX AND IDENT.' (NOTE: TWR DOES NOT HAVE H60 IN SIGHT AND BAY DOES NOT LANDLINE TWR TO EXCHANGE TFC.) NOTE: TWR CTLR THINKS H60 IS AT 2000 FT SOMEWHERE NEAR MOFFETT. BAY APCH TELLS H60 TO, 'SQUAWK XXXX.' (BAY STILL NEVER CALLS MOFFETT ON HOTLINE.) BAY TELLS H60, 'RADAR CONTACT 1 MI S OF MOFFETT.' THE C135 (WHICH HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND BY MOFFETT TWR WHILE ABOUT 6 MI FINAL RWY 32R ASKS MOFFETT TWR, 'TWR YOU GOT ANY OTHER TFC OUT IN THIS AREA? LOOKS LIKE WE GOT A CHOPPER OFF OUR NOSE HERE.' MOFFETT TWR ASKS 'H-60, MOFFETT TWR, YOU ON?' QUERY MET WITH SILENCE. TWR NOW VISUALLY SEES BOTH ACFT. H60 CROSSES RWY 32R FINAL APCH PATH FROM SE TO SW, TWR SUPVR KEYS UP, LANDLINE TO SAN JOSE TWR, SAN JOSE TWR INFORMS MOFFETT THE H60 IS AT 1600 FT. BAY APCH ASKS H60, 'DO YOU HAVE THE TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, A C-135?' H60 REPLIES, 'WE HAVE TFC IN SIGHT AT THIS TIME AND WE ARE TURNING AWAY FROM IT.' I PROPOSE A NEW RULE BE WRITTEN INTO FAA HANDBOOK 7110.65 (ATC MANUAL) INSTRUCTING RADAR CTLRS TO IMMEDIATELY COORDINATE WITH THE APPROPRIATE NON-RADAR TWR WHEN THEY FIRST PICKUP (INITIAL 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT) ON ANY ACFT WITHIN A CLASS D AIRSPACE, OR ABOUT TO ENTER A CLASS D AIRSPACE TO INCLUDE ANY ACFT WITHIN 1000 FT OF THE CEILING OF CLASS D AIRSPACE. EXAMPLE: MOFFETT CLASS D CEILING IS 1500 FT AGL. NEW RULE WOULD INSTRUCT APCH CTLRS TO POINT OUT ALL TFC AT 2500 FT AGL OR BELOW OVER CLASS D AIRSPACE UPON INITIAL 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT. THIS RULE NEEDS ADOPTION NATIONWIDE.

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.