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A C172 pilot, climbing through 8000 ft, encountered four military jets approximately 30NM southwest of phx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 530728 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : luf.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : luf.tracon |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 70 |
| ASRS Report | 530728 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Eight miles out of casa grande municipal, az, I contacted albuquerque center and established flight following for a VFR flight to palm springs international (psp). Albuquerque asked us our route of flight and final altitude. Approximately 25 mins into the flight, flying over the north maricopa mountains wilderness area, I encountered two us military jets. I was still climbing through 8000 ft. I deviated right about 70 degrees to avoid encounter. When my vision shifted right, away from the two jets into my intended airspace, I encountered two similar jets at my altitude climbing almost vertically. I was looking at their under bellies at a distance of maybe one-half mile. My wife and I were tense as I returned to our original heading, looking after the disappearing jets. I assured myself we had not wandered into restr airspace. The jets were gone quickly, so I decided to contact albuquerque center instead of monitor 121.5. Albuquerque, this is aircraft X, we were just passed by four jets. albuquerque center advised us we donT have you. after center had a general idea where we were, he told us to contact luke approach. Luke approach asked us our intentions. At the time I had no idea I was talking to an AFB approach, and made no mention of the encounter. After giving him my information, he quickly handed me back to albuquerque center. Albuquerque center asked me for flight information again. I responded that I was already squawking XXXX and identing now. Albuquerque center responded that they had radar contact eighteen miles southeast of the buckeye VORTAC, and resumed flight following. I understand that flight following is what it is, without assurances that a similar encounter will not occur even during the same flight. After all, it is my responsibility to maintain VFR when operating within its environment. What is an appropriate way to engage in constructive dialog, to possibly keep a disastrous encounter from occurring?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172 PLT, CLIMBING THROUGH 8000 FT, ENCOUNTERED FOUR MIL JETS APPROX 30NM SW OF PHX.
Narrative: EIGHT MILES OUT OF CASA GRANDE MUNI, AZ, I CONTACTED ALBUQUERQUE CTR AND ESTABLISHED FLT FOLLOWING FOR A VFR FLT TO PALM SPRINGS INTL (PSP). ALBUQUERQUE ASKED US OUR RTE OF FLT AND FINAL ALTITUDE. APPROX 25 MINS INTO THE FLT, FLYING OVER THE N MARICOPA MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREA, I ENCOUNTERED TWO US MILITARY JETS. I WAS STILL CLIMBING THROUGH 8000 FT. I DEVIATED R ABOUT 70 DEGS TO AVOID ENCOUNTER. WHEN MY VISION SHIFTED R, AWAY FROM THE TWO JETS INTO MY INTENDED AIRSPACE, I ENCOUNTERED TWO SIMILAR JETS AT MY ALTITUDE CLIMBING ALMOST VERTICALLY. I WAS LOOKING AT THEIR UNDER BELLIES AT A DISTANCE OF MAYBE ONE-HALF MILE. MY WIFE AND I WERE TENSE AS I RETURNED TO OUR ORIGINAL HEADING, LOOKING AFTER THE DISAPPEARING JETS. I ASSURED MYSELF WE HAD NOT WANDERED INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. THE JETS WERE GONE QUICKLY, SO I DECIDED TO CONTACT ALBUQUERQUE CTR INSTEAD OF MONITOR 121.5. ALBUQUERQUE, THIS IS ACFT X, WE WERE JUST PASSED BY FOUR JETS. ALBUQUERQUE CTR ADVISED US WE DONT HAVE YOU. AFTER CTR HAD A GENERAL IDEA WHERE WE WERE, HE TOLD US TO CONTACT LUKE APCH. LUKE APCH ASKED US OUR INTENTIONS. AT THE TIME I HAD NO IDEA I WAS TALKING TO AN AFB APCH, AND MADE NO MENTION OF THE ENCOUNTER. AFTER GIVING HIM MY INFORMATION, HE QUICKLY HANDED ME BACK TO ALBUQUERQUE CTR. ALBUQUERQUE CTR ASKED ME FOR FLT INFO AGAIN. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS ALREADY SQUAWKING XXXX AND IDENTING NOW. ALBUQUERQUE CTR RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD RADAR CONTACT EIGHTEEN MILES SE OF THE BUCKEYE VORTAC, AND RESUMED FLT FOLLOWING. I UNDERSTAND THAT FLT FOLLOWING IS WHAT IT IS, WITHOUT ASSURANCES THAT A SIMILAR ENCOUNTER WILL NOT OCCUR EVEN DURING THE SAME FLT. AFTER ALL, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN VFR WHEN OPERATING WITHIN ITS ENVIRONMENT. WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG, TO POSSIBLY KEEP A DISASTROUS ENCOUNTER FROM OCCURRING?
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.