Narrative:

Reporter was in cockpit of aircraft parked on ramp at ipl. Observed 2 F18's in loose formation turn left over airport from southwest to west and proceed to navy el centro. F18's crossed over ipl at approximately 1000 ft AGL approximately 3/4 down runway 14, which was runway in use, with 1 aircraft in touch and go pattern (left traffic), and proceeded inbound to navy el centro. Reporter contacted el centro tower supervisor who stated F18's had arrived high for the overhead and flew out east to descend and reenter the pattern. Tower observed aircraft at wrong altitude over ipl and advised aircrew for future reference. This situation occurs often, primarily with military aircraft arriving from the east at high speed for runway 26 at el centro. A caution note to this effect is in the airport facilities directory, however arriving military aircraft often are below the published altitude. Recommend disallowing straight-in VFR arrs to runway 26 at el centro. Place a brief, permanent comment on el centro ATIS to remind arrival aircraft of hazard. Place signs near runways and posters in FBO and operations. Consider establishing class C airspace to cover both airports with el centro controling (they have radar). Positive control or awareness of aircraft would greatly improve safety. There is a large mix of military and civil aircraft operating in the imperial valley. Military aircraft often 'spill out' the south side of R-2510 due to bomb run course. Ag aircraft operate NORDO at ipl, usually against the traffic flow, often taking off and landing on txwys and unlit runways at night. They always arrive and depart well below traffic pattern altitude. Many accidents are waiting to happen in this area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is with customs and was on a law enforcement mission in a citation. There are fliers on the FBO bulletin board at imperial but reporter does not know if anything is posted at el centro. At times he feels this is a very questionable operation from the military side. They make the overhead approachs and let down right over imperial. Reporter feels there should be an established pattern at el centro and the overhead approach should be eliminated due to the close proximity of the 2 airports. He himself had an near midair collision a while back while on government business. The air guard operation defies all description as they fly at night and feel there is no one else around. A very poor situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV SMT ON GND SIGHTS F18'S DSNDING BELOW TPA WHEN OVERXING IPL ON DSCNT TO EL CENTRO ARPT.

Narrative: RPTR WAS IN COCKPIT OF ACFT PARKED ON RAMP AT IPL. OBSERVED 2 F18'S IN LOOSE FORMATION TURN L OVER ARPT FROM SW TO W AND PROCEED TO NAVY EL CENTRO. F18'S CROSSED OVER IPL AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL APPROX 3/4 DOWN RWY 14, WHICH WAS RWY IN USE, WITH 1 ACFT IN TOUCH AND GO PATTERN (L TFC), AND PROCEEDED INBOUND TO NAVY EL CENTRO. RPTR CONTACTED EL CENTRO TWR SUPVR WHO STATED F18'S HAD ARRIVED HIGH FOR THE OVERHEAD AND FLEW OUT E TO DSND AND REENTER THE PATTERN. TWR OBSERVED ACFT AT WRONG ALT OVER IPL AND ADVISED AIRCREW FOR FUTURE REF. THIS SIT OCCURS OFTEN, PRIMARILY WITH MIL ACFT ARRIVING FROM THE E AT HIGH SPD FOR RWY 26 AT EL CENTRO. A CAUTION NOTE TO THIS EFFECT IS IN THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY, HOWEVER ARRIVING MIL ACFT OFTEN ARE BELOW THE PUBLISHED ALT. RECOMMEND DISALLOWING STRAIGHT-IN VFR ARRS TO RWY 26 AT EL CENTRO. PLACE A BRIEF, PERMANENT COMMENT ON EL CENTRO ATIS TO REMIND ARR ACFT OF HAZARD. PLACE SIGNS NEAR RWYS AND POSTERS IN FBO AND OPS. CONSIDER ESTABLISHING CLASS C AIRSPACE TO COVER BOTH ARPTS WITH EL CENTRO CTLING (THEY HAVE RADAR). POSITIVE CTL OR AWARENESS OF ACFT WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE SAFETY. THERE IS A LARGE MIX OF MIL AND CIVIL ACFT OPERATING IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. MIL ACFT OFTEN 'SPILL OUT' THE S SIDE OF R-2510 DUE TO BOMB RUN COURSE. AG ACFT OPERATE NORDO AT IPL, USUALLY AGAINST THE TFC FLOW, OFTEN TAKING OFF AND LNDG ON TXWYS AND UNLIT RWYS AT NIGHT. THEY ALWAYS ARRIVE AND DEPART WELL BELOW TFC PATTERN ALT. MANY ACCIDENTS ARE WAITING TO HAPPEN IN THIS AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS WITH CUSTOMS AND WAS ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION IN A CITATION. THERE ARE FLIERS ON THE FBO BULLETIN BOARD AT IMPERIAL BUT RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF ANYTHING IS POSTED AT EL CENTRO. AT TIMES HE FEELS THIS IS A VERY QUESTIONABLE OP FROM THE MIL SIDE. THEY MAKE THE OVERHEAD APCHS AND LET DOWN RIGHT OVER IMPERIAL. RPTR FEELS THERE SHOULD BE AN ESTABLISHED PATTERN AT EL CENTRO AND THE OVERHEAD APCH SHOULD BE ELIMINATED DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS. HE HIMSELF HAD AN NMAC A WHILE BACK WHILE ON GOV BUSINESS. THE AIR GUARD OP DEFIES ALL DESCRIPTION AS THEY FLY AT NIGHT AND FEEL THERE IS NO ONE ELSE AROUND. A VERY POOR SIT.

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.