Time Pressure; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related; Weather; Procedure
A military aircraft flying the ILS to LMT Runway 32 (IFR flight plan in IMC) began descending on the glidepath and as he broke out of the weather; visually acquired a blue and white helicopter. The pilot aggressively maneuvered away from the helo and prevented not only the loss of life of all the aircrew; but the associated danger of having a fighter and a helo crash into the surrounding city. The Control Tower was in two radio communication with the helicopter (I was monitoring the Local Control frequency) and the Radar Control facility had previously pointed out 'light civil traffic' to the fighter pilot prior to telling him to contact Tower. The fighter pilot (with an instructor in his backseat) used his onboard radar to try to locate the traffic. The fighter pilot locked the helo just as he broke out of the weather and simultaneously found the traffic visually. Despite very low airspeed associated with the final portion of an instrument approach (around 200 KIAS) he was able to aggressively push his jet toward the ground in order to avoid a collision and passed within a few hundred feet of the traffic. The helo was one mile outside of Class D airspace and the Tower simply said 'he was legal.' Although technically accurate; the point is that both Seattle Center and the Tower saw the helo and did not positively de-conflict the IFR traffic from a very real conflict. The fact that the helo was one mile outside the Class D would not have been of much comfort to the public if burning wreckage had fallen on them. In the interest of safety; I recommend adding extensions to the Class D airspace 2 additional miles along the approach courses of the instrument Runway 14-32 in order to ensure protection of IFR traffic operating to and from the airport.
An IMC Fighter on final to LMT Runway 32 was advised about VFR helicopter traffic on final but did not detect the aircraft visually until clear of clouds then flew beneath the helicopter while avoiding it.