Narrative:

Mission was a 2 ship A10 transition ride scheduled to the tombstone MOA. The upgrade pilot was leading the sortie and it was his second flight in the A10, total time in type 2.4 hours. The instructor pilot was in a chase position during initial takeoff/climb out. The upgrade pilot was somewhat familiar with the departure, having flown it the day prior during his first-ever A10 sortie. On initial contact with tus departure, he reported passing 3800 ft and departure control asked him to check squawk (he had failed to turn it on). The IFR departure clearance for the flight was 'runway heading, maintain 13000 ft, expect 17000 ft 10 mins after departure, departure frequency was local channel 4 squawk XXXX. While the upgrade pilot reset his squawk and idented, the instructor pilot was providing in-flight instruction to the upgrade on the FM (interflt) radio and this communication stepped on tus departure's next radio call to the flight. The upgrade pilot initiated a right turn to proceed to 'reddy' -- a fix on the departure -- and continued to climb. Because the instructor had stepped on the last transmission from departure, he was unsure of the vector heading provided to flight (if any). Before a turn could be made back to runway heading, departure control asked where the flight was heading and that they had not issued a vector, but now directed the flight to turn right, heading 090 degrees and maintain altitude for cessna traffic (IFR) located northeast at 9500 ft. Both upgrade pilot and instructor had visual contact with the cessna and were 3000 ft below and 2-3 NM laterally away from it at the closest point. The avoidance vector was only issued for approximately 20 seconds before another vector to resume the departure was issued as the traffic was now 'no factor.' within 2 mins flight was notified of a possible deviation and provided a landline number to contact tus TRACON after landing. Human performance consideration: low experience of A10 upgrade pilot. Upgrade pilot misunderstanding of IFR departure procedures/requirements. Student training in progress throughout this situation. Instructor pilot in-flight instruction on FM radio stepped on communication from tus departure control. Upgrade pilot's failure to turn on his transponder prior to takeoff contributed to initial confusion. Departure depiction in locally distributed A10 flight pubs (in-flight guide to local area operations), shows a right turnout on departure. This was confusing according to the upgrade pilot and is being investigated through military channels. After landing, upgrade pilot was provided with additional instruction to avoid a repeat performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIL INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT THAT DEP CTLR CORRECTED AFTER A FORMATION FLT OF 2 A10 ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED A HDG TRACK DEV ON DEP FROM TUS, AZ.

Narrative: MISSION WAS A 2 SHIP A10 TRANSITION RIDE SCHEDULED TO THE TOMBSTONE MOA. THE UPGRADE PLT WAS LEADING THE SORTIE AND IT WAS HIS SECOND FLT IN THE A10, TOTAL TIME IN TYPE 2.4 HRS. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS IN A CHASE POS DURING INITIAL TKOF/CLBOUT. THE UPGRADE PLT WAS SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE DEP, HAVING FLOWN IT THE DAY PRIOR DURING HIS FIRST-EVER A10 SORTIE. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TUS DEP, HE RPTED PASSING 3800 FT AND DEP CTL ASKED HIM TO CHK SQUAWK (HE HAD FAILED TO TURN IT ON). THE IFR DEP CLRNC FOR THE FLT WAS 'RWY HDG, MAINTAIN 13000 FT, EXPECT 17000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP, DEP FREQ WAS LCL CHANNEL 4 SQUAWK XXXX. WHILE THE UPGRADE PLT RESET HIS SQUAWK AND IDENTED, THE INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS PROVIDING INFLT INSTRUCTION TO THE UPGRADE ON THE FM (INTERFLT) RADIO AND THIS COM STEPPED ON TUS DEP'S NEXT RADIO CALL TO THE FLT. THE UPGRADE PLT INITIATED A R TURN TO PROCEED TO 'REDDY' -- A FIX ON THE DEP -- AND CONTINUED TO CLB. BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTOR HAD STEPPED ON THE LAST XMISSION FROM DEP, HE WAS UNSURE OF THE VECTOR HDG PROVIDED TO FLT (IF ANY). BEFORE A TURN COULD BE MADE BACK TO RWY HDG, DEP CTL ASKED WHERE THE FLT WAS HEADING AND THAT THEY HAD NOT ISSUED A VECTOR, BUT NOW DIRECTED THE FLT TO TURN R, HDG 090 DEGS AND MAINTAIN ALT FOR CESSNA TFC (IFR) LOCATED NE AT 9500 FT. BOTH UPGRADE PLT AND INSTRUCTOR HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE CESSNA AND WERE 3000 FT BELOW AND 2-3 NM LATERALLY AWAY FROM IT AT THE CLOSEST POINT. THE AVOIDANCE VECTOR WAS ONLY ISSUED FOR APPROX 20 SECONDS BEFORE ANOTHER VECTOR TO RESUME THE DEP WAS ISSUED AS THE TFC WAS NOW 'NO FACTOR.' WITHIN 2 MINS FLT WAS NOTIFIED OF A POSSIBLE DEV AND PROVIDED A LANDLINE NUMBER TO CONTACT TUS TRACON AFTER LNDG. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION: LOW EXPERIENCE OF A10 UPGRADE PLT. UPGRADE PLT MISUNDERSTANDING OF IFR DEP PROCS/REQUIREMENTS. STUDENT TRAINING IN PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THIS SIT. INSTRUCTOR PLT INFLT INSTRUCTION ON FM RADIO STEPPED ON COM FROM TUS DEP CTL. UPGRADE PLT'S FAILURE TO TURN ON HIS XPONDER PRIOR TO TKOF CONTRIBUTED TO INITIAL CONFUSION. DEP DEPICTION IN LOCALLY DISTRIBUTED A10 FLT PUBS (INFLT GUIDE TO LCL AREA OPS), SHOWS A R TURNOUT ON DEP. THIS WAS CONFUSING ACCORDING TO THE UPGRADE PLT AND IS BEING INVESTIGATED THROUGH MIL CHANNELS. AFTER LNDG, UPGRADE PLT WAS PROVIDED WITH ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION TO AVOID A REPEAT PERFORMANCE.

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.