On April 28 there was a near miss, a near mid-air collision over the Ladrone fire on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. A military Tornado jet came within 100-feet or less of colliding with an Air Attack aircraft. Here is the narrative from SAFECOM #09-0187:
The Ladrone Fire was discovered by Hilsboro LO on 4/27/09 at approximately 1000. IA air attack was ordered at that time. The IA air attack immediately requested deconfliction of the airspace. Relief Air Attack requested a standard TFR at 1530 with a 3000 agl ceiling.
Hilsboro LO reported military jets near the fire area at 1530 as well. On 4/28/09 the relief Air Attack arrived on scene at approximately 1200 and briefed with Ladrone Air Attack. The fire was fairly quiet at that time. The TFR was not showing on the aircraft GPS so the ATGS called dispatch at 1300 to confirm that the TFR was in place, which it was.
At approximately 1413 the air attack noticed a target on the TCAS and alerted the pilot. The target was approximately 2 miles away and 400 vertical feet above the air attack aircraft. The closure rate was very fast. The air attack pilot determined that the target aircraft was decending toward air attack aircraft. The air attack pilot took evasive action by diving and turning approximately 180 degrees. At the moment of evasive action the air attack observed the target on the TCAS go from 100 ft vertical seperation to 0 feet seperation.
As the air attack pilot recovered from the evasive action the air attack made visual contact with the intruding aircraft and identified it as military Tornado jet {delta wing single exhaust}. The air attack pilot confirmed the identity of the aircraft. The air attack called Silver City Dispatch and asked them to inform SWCC and the RASM of the TFR intrusion and the near mid air.
About the same time the air attack noticed the target aircraft on the TCAS Hilsboro Peak LO called Silver City dispatch to inform them of the Military Jet approaching the fire area and LO from West to East stating that a jet was with in 200 feet of the LO.
Decoding the jargon:
LO = Lookout tower (fire)
IA = Initial Attack
TRF = Temporary Flight Restriction
AGL = Above Ground Level
ATGS = Air Tanker Group Supervisor
TCAS = Collision avoidance system (?)
SWCC = Southwest Coordination Center
Following the incident, the Regional Aviation Safety Manager for the U.S. Forest Service in the Southwest Area issued a Safety Alert. Here is an excerpt:
Deconfliction of Airspace
The Region has experienced the second airspace intrusion by military aircraft for the 2009 fire season. This time, a near mid-air occurred with a military fighter jet and an ATGS platform coming within 100’ feet of each other. (SAFECOM 09-187) The Southwest Mob Guide states “To augment the FAA NOTAM system, initial attack dispatchers must immediately notify the responsible military scheduling agency of known aviation activities.” It does not go into further deconfliction contacts or procedures. Deconfliction had occurred prior to the near mid-air appropriately according to the protocols of the Forest, however, there is more we can do. The Regional Aviation Staff is recommending a review of your deconfliction protocol to ensure we are doing all we can to avoid a mid-air collision. We also recommend your protocol includes a requirement for daily deconfliction calls to occur during periods of aviation activity. We cannot assume the military checks the NOTAMS, or will avoid the area of operations. Here are actions we should be taking towards deconfliction efforts:
