Narrative:

I was the PIC of flight air carrier from chs to rdu on the evening of dec xx 1996. The first officer was flying the aircraft. We were established on V437 southeast of flo when we received a TCASII alert for traffic approaching from behind. The aircraft was about 2 mi away and closing rapidly in distance and altitude. ZJX (133.45) informed us of an unidented aircraft behind us. The first officer saw the traffic visually and noted that it would pass behind us. The aircraft was then observed turning towards us. Visual contact was lost as the aircraft maneuvered behind us. The image on the TCASII indicated the other aircraft directly behind and at the same altitude. The first officer spotted a small section of the radome as the TCASII images were about to merge. I informed ATC we were turning left to avoid a collision. I could see a small amount of separation appear between us on the TCASII before the other aircraft turned to close the distance. Once again a collision appeared to be imminent. I again informed ATC that we were descending to avoid a collision. A rapid descent was started. Once again separation was noted before the other aircraft closed in and followed us down. The first officer noted at this time the aircraft was a military fighter. He was in a very tight formation with his nose just behind and outboard of the right wing. At all times when the separation closed the image of the other aircraft covered ours on TCASII. Our initial altitude was 13000 ft. As we descended through 10000 ft the other aircraft turned away. We leveled off at 9000 ft. ATC asked for our altitude and if we would like to return to 13000 ft. We climbed to 11000 ft and resumed navigation to flo. I called ATC from rdu and learned that the other aircraft was an FA18. He was assigned to gamecock d-east. He left this area without permission and without talking to anyone. His callsign was fgt. He was to meet with a C130 to refuel and ATC speculated he may have initially mistaken us for the tanker. Although it was after sunset. We were between the available light and the fighter. The time of this incident was about XA45Z. ATC also noted that we were clear of active areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN LTT TURBOPROP COMMUTER AND AN UNANNOUNCED FGT F18 THAT CLOSED IN ON THE COMMUTER ACFT AND FLEW IN CLOSE PROX.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF FLT ACR FROM CHS TO RDU ON THE EVENING OF DEC XX 1996. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON V437 SE OF FLO WHEN WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT FOR TFC APCHING FROM BEHIND. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 2 MI AWAY AND CLOSING RAPIDLY IN DISTANCE AND ALT. ZJX (133.45) INFORMED US OF AN UNIDENTED ACFT BEHIND US. THE FO SAW THE TFC VISUALLY AND NOTED THAT IT WOULD PASS BEHIND US. THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TURNING TOWARDS US. VISUAL CONTACT WAS LOST AS THE ACFT MANEUVERED BEHIND US. THE IMAGE ON THE TCASII INDICATED THE OTHER ACFT DIRECTLY BEHIND AND AT THE SAME ALT. THE FO SPOTTED A SMALL SECTION OF THE RADOME AS THE TCASII IMAGES WERE ABOUT TO MERGE. I INFORMED ATC WE WERE TURNING L TO AVOID A COLLISION. I COULD SEE A SMALL AMOUNT OF SEPARATION APPEAR BTWN US ON THE TCASII BEFORE THE OTHER ACFT TURNED TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE. ONCE AGAIN A COLLISION APPEARED TO BE IMMINENT. I AGAIN INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO AVOID A COLLISION. A RAPID DSCNT WAS STARTED. ONCE AGAIN SEPARATION WAS NOTED BEFORE THE OTHER ACFT CLOSED IN AND FOLLOWED US DOWN. THE FO NOTED AT THIS TIME THE ACFT WAS A MIL FIGHTER. HE WAS IN A VERY TIGHT FORMATION WITH HIS NOSE JUST BEHIND AND OUTBOARD OF THE R WING. AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE SEPARATION CLOSED THE IMAGE OF THE OTHER ACFT COVERED OURS ON TCASII. OUR INITIAL ALT WAS 13000 FT. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 10000 FT THE OTHER ACFT TURNED AWAY. WE LEVELED OFF AT 9000 FT. ATC ASKED FOR OUR ALT AND IF WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO 13000 FT. WE CLBED TO 11000 FT AND RESUMED NAV TO FLO. I CALLED ATC FROM RDU AND LEARNED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS AN FA18. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO GAMECOCK D-EAST. HE LEFT THIS AREA WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT TALKING TO ANYONE. HIS CALLSIGN WAS FGT. HE WAS TO MEET WITH A C130 TO REFUEL AND ATC SPECULATED HE MAY HAVE INITIALLY MISTAKEN US FOR THE TANKER. ALTHOUGH IT WAS AFTER SUNSET. WE WERE BTWN THE AVAILABLE LIGHT AND THE FIGHTER. THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS ABOUT XA45Z. ATC ALSO NOTED THAT WE WERE CLR OF ACTIVE AREAS.

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.