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Flight of 4 F-16's received clearance from ATC relayed through the refueling tanker. Reporter flight leader misunderstood altitude clearance and departed fueling track into class B airspace. The military controller corrected their clearance and they descended back into the appropriate airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 341422 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zlc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 23000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | military facility : nellis |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 341422 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : exit incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was flight lead for a flight of 4 F-16's participating in red flag exercises north of nellis AFB, nv. We proceeded into air refueling track 625 and refueled with a KC135 tanker. My post-refueling clearance was passed to me by a flight crew member of the KC135 (which was orbiting in AR625 at FL210). I understood my clearance to be climb to FL230 clear of the tanker and proceed into the adjacent red flag airspace. I believe I read it back as such, and I climbed to FL230 and contacted nellis track, military controllers which control flow of aircraft in and out of AR625 to and from adjacent red flag airspace. Nellis track told me I was supposed to be at FL220, not FL230. I immediately descended to FL220. It appears that AR625 only went to FL220 on that day, and that the airspace above was owned by ZLC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT OF 4 F-16'S RECEIVED CLRNC FROM ATC RELAYED THROUGH THE REFUELING TANKER. RPTR FLT LEADER MISUNDERSTOOD ALT CLRNC AND DEPARTED FUELING TRACK INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE MIL CTLR CORRECTED THEIR CLRNC AND THEY DSNDED BACK INTO THE APPROPRIATE AIRSPACE.
Narrative: I WAS FLT LEAD FOR A FLT OF 4 F-16'S PARTICIPATING IN RED FLAG EXERCISES N OF NELLIS AFB, NV. WE PROCEEDED INTO AIR REFUELING TRACK 625 AND REFUELED WITH A KC135 TANKER. MY POST-REFUELING CLRNC WAS PASSED TO ME BY A FLC MEMBER OF THE KC135 (WHICH WAS ORBITING IN AR625 AT FL210). I UNDERSTOOD MY CLRNC TO BE CLB TO FL230 CLR OF THE TANKER AND PROCEED INTO THE ADJACENT RED FLAG AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE I READ IT BACK AS SUCH, AND I CLBED TO FL230 AND CONTACTED NELLIS TRACK, MIL CTLRS WHICH CTL FLOW OF ACFT IN AND OUT OF AR625 TO AND FROM ADJACENT RED FLAG AIRSPACE. NELLIS TRACK TOLD ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT FL220, NOT FL230. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO FL220. IT APPEARS THAT AR625 ONLY WENT TO FL220 ON THAT DAY, AND THAT THE AIRSPACE ABOVE WAS OWNED BY ZLC.
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.