ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702100135
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Washington Post
Two F-16 fighter jets were advised of other aircraft traffic in a restricted military area as they began maneuvers off the New Jersey coast Wednesday, but were not told specifically that a civilian airliner had been given permission to cross the zone, according to air traffic control voice tapes.
A Navy air traffic controller authorized the two military planes to begin their training exercise before the Nations Air Express flight had cleared the restricted zone, leading a civilian controller to demand that the F-16s stay away from the civilian airliner.
``You're supposed to keep ... your guy away from mine, and it's not looking like it's working that way,'' a controller at the Federal Aviation Administration's New York air traffic control center told his Navy counterpart at a Virginia Beach control center nicknamed ``Giantkiller.''
The transcript of radio communications between control centers and with the F-16s indicates growing confusion as one of the F-16s eased up behind the Nations Air charter flight from San Juan for a closer look. The Nations Air pilot, warned of the approaching plane by an electronic alert system, took unusually sharp evasive action, throwing two flight attendants and a passenger to the floor.
Part of the confusion was over whether the military pilots - one an instructor, the other a student - were fully informed of the presence of the civilian plane. The transcript shows they were told of ``working traffic'' in the restricted zone shortly after they entered the area, but were not told that the traffic included the Nations Air Boeing 727, where it was located or where it was going until after the F-16 instructor, who had identified the plane on his own radar, had begun closing on the airliner.
The Air Force suspended flight operations in coastal warning areas following a second incident Friday, when an American Eagle commuter pilot told controllers that four F-16s passed near him off the Maryland coast - three above and one below. The Air National Guard said the F-16s had maintained proper separation from the civilian plane. The incident took place outside any warning area.
It appeared that no aircraft were in danger in either incident, but the National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation. The agency will interview pilots and controllers and will review radar and voice tapes as well as the 727's flight data recorder.
The air traffic control transcript, which does not contain communications with the Nations Air plane, suggests an element of miscommunication that is likely to be a primary area of concern for the safety board.
Under a memorandum of understanding between the FAA and the military, civilian aircraft are free to fly through large zones of airspace reserved for military training - known as warning areas - until the military informs the FAA that the zones are needed for maneuvers. Wednesday's incident occurred in Warning Area 107 off the New Jersey coast.
According to the transcript, the Navy controller informed civilian controllers at 1:34 p.m. and 20 seconds that he was activating the warning area - making it ``hot,'' in military parlance.
A controller at the FAA's Washington Center in Leesburg, Va., which was controlling the Nations Air plane and a United Parcel Service McDonnell Douglas DC-8 in the area, informed the Navy controller that the commercial planes were approaching the military zone.
Two minutes later, the Navy controller and the FAA's New York center, which had assumed control of the two commercial planes, worked out an arrangement to have them pass through before the area was closed to all but military planes.
``Get these two guys through there, and then you get your warning area back after that,'' the civilian controller said.
``That's approved,'' said the Navy controller at 1:36 p.m. and 38 seconds.
At 1:38 p.m. came a transmission from the Navy controller to the F-16s that will be a key focus of the investigation:
``Smash one-one [the F-16 instructor's call sign], in the area, radar services are terminated, maneuver at pilot's discretion, altimeter above 5,000 two niner niner two, working traffic, monitor Giantkiller on guard, common area frequency three three seven decimal two two, Giantkiller requires five minute note prior to RTB [return to base].''
With those words, the controller authorized the F-16s to begin maneuvers and, with the phrase ``working traffic,'' gave them their first hint that other planes might be nearby. He did not identify the commercial planes or give their positions.
Three and a half minutes later, the Navy controller contacted the New York FAA controller, telling him that the F-16s were ``maneuvering at, uh, pilot's discretion.'' It was apparently the first time the civilian controller had been informed that maneuvers had started.
After some trouble understanding the radio transmission, the civilian controller shot back: ``OK, we have to turn them outta there, sir. My guy's at twenty-eight [thousand] descending to one four thousand [a reference to the Nations Air flight]. You have to keep him away from there. Don't make me start me turning my guys all over the place. Is there a problem with this guy?''
``Naw, there's not a problem with it,'' the Navy controller replied. ``I'm just letting you know he's in there maneuvering at pilot's discretion.''
``Well, I'm telling you, I'm calling my supervisor now and he's gonna be calling you because you're supposed to keep my guy - your guy - away from mine, and it's not looking like it's working that way,'' the civilian controller said.
Only then did the Navy specifically tell the F-16 pilots that a Boeing 727 was in the area.
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