Narrative:

We were with norcal approach (127.4) on VFR TA's for practice approachs at mhr. We had been given a discrete code and were in radar contact and given a vector to fly 050 degrees at 3000 ft which put us essentially on a wide downwind for ILS runway 22L at mhr. During this segment of the flight I was on the controls and under the hood. I was taking instruction from another instructor. After we were established on the assigned vector; the approach controller notified us of traffic 'a T-38 in your 5 O'clock position climbing through your altitude and will overtake.' my instructor responded that we were looking for the traffic. Approximately 5 seconds after the call from approach; my instructor told me to lift the hood up and look. At the same time he turned the plane to our right. As I looked out the left window I saw a T-38 within 200 ft of us traveling past us on approximately the same heading we were on and climbing rapidly. The T-38 was traveling well in excess of 200 KIAS. We notified ATC that 'it was too close.' the norcal controller then began a short dialogue with the T-38 pilot but we could not hear all of it because the T-38 was transmitting on UHF. It appeared from the approach controller's words that he thought that the tower at mhr had notified the T-38 of our presence. We were not in the mhr class D airspace. The factors in this incident appeared to be poor communication between the tower controller and the TRACON as well as the T-38 using UHF; we could not hear him and know that he was coming. This appeared to surprise the TRACON controller as his call came warning us only a few seconds before we converged.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE95 PLTS ARE CONDUCTING PRACTICE INST APPROACHES WHEN A T38 OVERTAKES; RESULTING IN AN EVASIVE TURN.

Narrative: WE WERE WITH NORCAL APCH (127.4) ON VFR TA'S FOR PRACTICE APCHS AT MHR. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A DISCRETE CODE AND WERE IN RADAR CONTACT AND GIVEN A VECTOR TO FLY 050 DEGS AT 3000 FT WHICH PUT US ESSENTIALLY ON A WIDE DOWNWIND FOR ILS RWY 22L AT MHR. DURING THIS SEGMENT OF THE FLT I WAS ON THE CTLS AND UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS TAKING INSTRUCTION FROM ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. AFTER WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE ASSIGNED VECTOR; THE APCH CTLR NOTIFIED US OF TFC 'A T-38 IN YOUR 5 O'CLOCK POS CLBING THROUGH YOUR ALT AND WILL OVERTAKE.' MY INSTRUCTOR RESPONDED THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE TFC. APPROX 5 SECONDS AFTER THE CALL FROM APCH; MY INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME TO LIFT THE HOOD UP AND LOOK. AT THE SAME TIME HE TURNED THE PLANE TO OUR R. AS I LOOKED OUT THE L WINDOW I SAW A T-38 WITHIN 200 FT OF US TRAVELING PAST US ON APPROX THE SAME HDG WE WERE ON AND CLBING RAPIDLY. THE T-38 WAS TRAVELING WELL IN EXCESS OF 200 KIAS. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT 'IT WAS TOO CLOSE.' THE NORCAL CTLR THEN BEGAN A SHORT DIALOGUE WITH THE T-38 PLT BUT WE COULD NOT HEAR ALL OF IT BECAUSE THE T-38 WAS XMITTING ON UHF. IT APPEARED FROM THE APCH CTLR'S WORDS THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE TWR AT MHR HAD NOTIFIED THE T-38 OF OUR PRESENCE. WE WERE NOT IN THE MHR CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT APPEARED TO BE POOR COM BTWN THE TWR CTLR AND THE TRACON AS WELL AS THE T-38 USING UHF; WE COULD NOT HEAR HIM AND KNOW THAT HE WAS COMING. THIS APPEARED TO SURPRISE THE TRACON CTLR AS HIS CALL CAME WARNING US ONLY A FEW SECONDS BEFORE WE CONVERGED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.