Narrative:

I was leading an A10 2 ship on a night vision goggle-aided night training mission. ZBW cleared us into the falcon MOA from 9000 ft to 17000 ft, while I put a request to get the entire MOA which is 6000 ft to FL180. One of my training objectives was to discover how close/low I needed to be in order to determine a vehicle type, ie, truck, car, tank, artillery piece, etc. My preflight guess was 6000-8000 ft AGL. Once in the MOA, I located our briefed training target (a bridge) and began a descent from approximately 13000 ft MSL while looking at vehicles crossing the bridge. My plan was to descend until I could determine what type of vehicle I was looking at. I finally was able to determine I was looking at a car at the same time ZBW asked me what my altitude was. I looked up and saw 7000 ft MSL, told ZBW, and started a climb back to 9000 ft MSL. ZBW said 'non participating traffic' was concerned with how close I had gotten. My wingman saw him and told me this traffic did not appear to be close (within 1 mi). How did this happen? I had planned on 6000 ft floor. I had planned my training around that, and did not change my plan for the new floor of 9000 ft. I guess I just forgot I was limited to 9000 ft. Task saturation may have contributed. I was attempting to find the target, coordinate airspace, and coordinate tactics at the same time. We were low on gas. We only had about 5 mins before we had to depart and I was trying to meet my objective prior to leaving. How to prevent: the A10 has an altitude alert (aural tone) for MSL and AGL. In the future, I will use that when on night vision goggle flts to help me. Also, I know I should have known, but if ZBW had told me I was limited to 9000 ft due to traffic in the MOA confines below, I probably would have given that altitude more thought.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL TRAINING FLT EXITS THE FALCON MOA, RESULTING IN A TFC CONFLICT WITH NON PARTICIPATING TFC.

Narrative: I WAS LEADING AN A10 2 SHIP ON A NIGHT VISION GOGGLE-AIDED NIGHT TRAINING MISSION. ZBW CLRED US INTO THE FALCON MOA FROM 9000 FT TO 17000 FT, WHILE I PUT A REQUEST TO GET THE ENTIRE MOA WHICH IS 6000 FT TO FL180. ONE OF MY TRAINING OBJECTIVES WAS TO DISCOVER HOW CLOSE/LOW I NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE A VEHICLE TYPE, IE, TRUCK, CAR, TANK, ARTILLERY PIECE, ETC. MY PREFLT GUESS WAS 6000-8000 FT AGL. ONCE IN THE MOA, I LOCATED OUR BRIEFED TRAINING TARGET (A BRIDGE) AND BEGAN A DSCNT FROM APPROX 13000 FT MSL WHILE LOOKING AT VEHICLES XING THE BRIDGE. MY PLAN WAS TO DSND UNTIL I COULD DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE I WAS LOOKING AT. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE I WAS LOOKING AT A CAR AT THE SAME TIME ZBW ASKED ME WHAT MY ALT WAS. I LOOKED UP AND SAW 7000 FT MSL, TOLD ZBW, AND STARTED A CLB BACK TO 9000 FT MSL. ZBW SAID 'NON PARTICIPATING TFC' WAS CONCERNED WITH HOW CLOSE I HAD GOTTEN. MY WINGMAN SAW HIM AND TOLD ME THIS TFC DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CLOSE (WITHIN 1 MI). HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I HAD PLANNED ON 6000 FT FLOOR. I HAD PLANNED MY TRAINING AROUND THAT, AND DID NOT CHANGE MY PLAN FOR THE NEW FLOOR OF 9000 FT. I GUESS I JUST FORGOT I WAS LIMITED TO 9000 FT. TASK SATURATION MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE TARGET, COORDINATE AIRSPACE, AND COORDINATE TACTICS AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE LOW ON GAS. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE WE HAD TO DEPART AND I WAS TRYING TO MEET MY OBJECTIVE PRIOR TO LEAVING. HOW TO PREVENT: THE A10 HAS AN ALT ALERT (AURAL TONE) FOR MSL AND AGL. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL USE THAT WHEN ON NIGHT VISION GOGGLE FLTS TO HELP ME. ALSO, I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, BUT IF ZBW HAD TOLD ME I WAS LIMITED TO 9000 FT DUE TO TFC IN THE MOA CONFINES BELOW, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN THAT ALT MORE THOUGHT.

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.