Narrative:

The procedures for F16's off of williams gateway to luke AFB include an automatic climb to 15000 ft. The departure gate for eastbound traffic was in use, which is normally not the case when the F16's are active. This procedure was not wanted by the controllers because they foresaw what could happen like this error. The supervisor on duty was not paying attention to the operation, given the circumstances, and did nothing to help avoid it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated east departure traffic off phx is affected by a MOA east of phx referring to a 'gate' as being open or closed. Reporter indicated an open 'gate' meant east operations through the adjacent area was open to the departures and closed 'gate' meant the area was closed and that east departures would be turned and routed a different way. Reporter indicated an awareness of the F16 but did not have a strip of knowledge of where the aircraft was going. Reporter stated the B737 had already been switched to the center but made an attempt to inform the center of the climbing F16 as traffic for the B737. Reporter indicated that in this instance, the 'gate' had been closed and had only been opened a few mins before the incident occurred. Reporter stated the procedure is still in use. Analyst learned the from the reporter that the reporter has been removed from controller duties and demoted. Reporter alleges that they are trying to remove reporter from the facility. Reporter also stated that the union facility representative sent information about the incident to the media which ended up on the front page of the newspaper and on television and involved having news rptrs at the reporter's home. Reporter indicated the incident was treated as an near midair collision by the media. Reporter stated the printout information indicated that separation between the 2 aircraft was 1.8 mi and 900 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR RPTED INVOLVING AN F16 AND A B737 OPERATING ON TWO CONFLICTING OPS PROCS FROM DIFFERENT ARPTS.

Narrative: THE PROCS FOR F16'S OFF OF WILLIAMS GATEWAY TO LUKE AFB INCLUDE AN AUTOMATIC CLB TO 15000 FT. THE DEP GATE FOR EBOUND TFC WAS IN USE, WHICH IS NORMALLY NOT THE CASE WHEN THE F16'S ARE ACTIVE. THIS PROC WAS NOT WANTED BY THE CTLRS BECAUSE THEY FORESAW WHAT COULD HAPPEN LIKE THIS ERROR. THE SUPVR ON DUTY WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO THE OP, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND DID NOTHING TO HELP AVOID IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED E DEP TFC OFF PHX IS AFFECTED BY A MOA E OF PHX REFERRING TO A 'GATE' AS BEING OPEN OR CLOSED. RPTR INDICATED AN OPEN 'GATE' MEANT E OPS THROUGH THE ADJACENT AREA WAS OPEN TO THE DEPS AND CLOSED 'GATE' MEANT THE AREA WAS CLOSED AND THAT E DEPS WOULD BE TURNED AND ROUTED A DIFFERENT WAY. RPTR INDICATED AN AWARENESS OF THE F16 BUT DID NOT HAVE A STRIP OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THE ACFT WAS GOING. RPTR STATED THE B737 HAD ALREADY BEEN SWITCHED TO THE CTR BUT MADE AN ATTEMPT TO INFORM THE CTR OF THE CLBING F16 AS TFC FOR THE B737. RPTR INDICATED THAT IN THIS INSTANCE, THE 'GATE' HAD BEEN CLOSED AND HAD ONLY BEEN OPENED A FEW MINS BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. RPTR STATED THE PROC IS STILL IN USE. ANALYST LEARNED THE FROM THE RPTR THAT THE RPTR HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM CTLR DUTIES AND DEMOTED. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO REMOVE RPTR FROM THE FACILITY. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE UNION FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE SENT INFO ABOUT THE INCIDENT TO THE MEDIA WHICH ENDED UP ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSPAPER AND ON TELEVISION AND INVOLVED HAVING NEWS RPTRS AT THE RPTR'S HOME. RPTR INDICATED THE INCIDENT WAS TREATED AS AN NMAC BY THE MEDIA. RPTR STATED THE PRINTOUT INFO INDICATED THAT SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 ACFT WAS 1.8 MI AND 900 FT.

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.