Narrative:

While in cruise flight at 15000 ft on V66 eastbound 15 NM west of ipl VORTAC, I encountered a near miss at my 12 O'clock position with a military F18 aircraft. The F18 appeared instantaneously and filled the entire windscreen. At that time the F18 veered hard right and initiated a climb. I was in radar contact at that time with ZLA who had not issued any TA's. The F18 appeared to pass less than 500 ft both vertically and horizontally from my aircraft. After querying ATC, I received the following information about the F18. The aircraft call sign XXXX was en route from el centro air base to el toro. The aircraft had exited the restr area at el centro and had not established communication nor radar contact with the controling agency for that area which is ZLA -- not a very smart thing to do. Upon landing in phx, I contacted los angeles TRACON via the telephone and filed a report with on duty supervisor who was aware of the situation and conveyed to me that the F18 was claiming to be having radar difficulties -- how convenient. If indeed the F18 was having a malfunctioning radar, I imagine there will be a record of this. Possible solutions could include requiring aircraft like the F18 to have established communications and obtained clrncs prior to exiting the restr areas or equipping aircraft like mine with TCASII like they do in passenger operations. Granted, if my aircraft is involved in a midair there would only be 2 people killed from my aircraft. However, the other aircraft may be a passenger plane and not so lucky!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SA227 CARGO ACFT ON AIRWAY HAD NMAC WITH F18 MIL ACFT WHICH WAS NOT IN COM WITH ATC.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT 15000 FT ON V66 EBOUND 15 NM W OF IPL VORTAC, I ENCOUNTERED A NEAR MISS AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS WITH A MIL F18 ACFT. THE F18 APPEARED INSTANTANEOUSLY AND FILLED THE ENTIRE WINDSCREEN. AT THAT TIME THE F18 VEERED HARD R AND INITIATED A CLB. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AT THAT TIME WITH ZLA WHO HAD NOT ISSUED ANY TA'S. THE F18 APPEARED TO PASS LESS THAN 500 FT BOTH VERTLY AND HORIZLY FROM MY ACFT. AFTER QUERYING ATC, I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INFO ABOUT THE F18. THE ACFT CALL SIGN XXXX WAS ENRTE FROM EL CENTRO AIR BASE TO EL TORO. THE ACFT HAD EXITED THE RESTR AREA AT EL CENTRO AND HAD NOT ESTABLISHED COM NOR RADAR CONTACT WITH THE CTLING AGENCY FOR THAT AREA WHICH IS ZLA -- NOT A VERY SMART THING TO DO. UPON LNDG IN PHX, I CONTACTED LOS ANGELES TRACON VIA THE TELEPHONE AND FILED A RPT WITH ON DUTY SUPVR WHO WAS AWARE OF THE SIT AND CONVEYED TO ME THAT THE F18 WAS CLAIMING TO BE HAVING RADAR DIFFICULTIES -- HOW CONVENIENT. IF INDEED THE F18 WAS HAVING A MALFUNCTIONING RADAR, I IMAGINE THERE WILL BE A RECORD OF THIS. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS COULD INCLUDE REQUIRING ACFT LIKE THE F18 TO HAVE ESTABLISHED COMS AND OBTAINED CLRNCS PRIOR TO EXITING THE RESTR AREAS OR EQUIPPING ACFT LIKE MINE WITH TCASII LIKE THEY DO IN PAX OPS. GRANTED, IF MY ACFT IS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR THERE WOULD ONLY BE 2 PEOPLE KILLED FROM MY ACFT. HOWEVER, THE OTHER ACFT MAY BE A PAX PLANE AND NOT SO LUCKY!

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.