Pacific Southwest Aviation Lessons Learned 2014

At approximately 1620 PDT on July 12, 2014, there was a report of a Legacy Airtanker (AT) and a NextGen Airtanker that came within 400 feet of each other while approaching the Porterville Airport (KPTV). The two aircraft had been supporting the Nicholls Fire on the Sequoia National Forest with retardant drops, and were returning to load at the Air Attack Base (AAB), in Porterville, CA when the incident occurred. When the pilots of the Legacy AT heard the NextGen AT announce their position of “15 miles out” at that moment the Legacy AT crew knew they also just announced their position “15 miles out”. The TCAD (Traffic Collision Alert Device) simultaneously reported traffic on the display and over the intercom. The NextGen AT then descended directly over the top of the Legacy AT. The Legacy AT flight crew reported that the TCAD displayed 400 feet vertical separation and confirmed it visually. The Legacy AT Pilot-in-Command took action to obtain separation from the NextGen AT avoiding the possibility of encountering wake turbulence. The NextGen AT crew did not receive a resolution advisory (RA) on their TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) and proceeded to the airport, unaware that an incident had occurred. Both aircraft landed without further incident.