Summary
Two foreign military F18 aircraft entered the Darwin CTA without prior warning, or an airways clearance, 57 km south of Darwin and were observed on radar climbing to 9,000 ft.
A Beech Baron aircraft, in the exact same locality, had just been cleared to descend from 8,500 ft to 3,000 ft. A breakdown in separation occurred as the aircraft passed.
The aircrews of the foreign aircraft were rebriefed on Australian ATC procedures and requirements.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | 199602225 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 17/06/1996 |
| Location | 57 km south of Darwin Aerodrome |
| State | Northern Territory |
| Report release date | 26/07/1996 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Loss of separation |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Beech Aircraft Corp |
|---|---|
| Model | 58 |
| Registration | VH-BSE |
| Sector | Piston |
| Operation type | Charter |
| Departure point | Unknown |
| Destination | Darwin NT |
| Damage | Nil |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas Corp. |
|---|---|
| Model | F/A-18A |
| Registration | VIKING 51 |
| Sector | Jet |
| Operation type | Military |
| Departure point | Unknown |
| Destination | Unknown |
| Damage | Nil |