Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Air Traffic Control Radar 23; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 180; Flight Crew Total 9900; Flight Crew Type 1100
Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
My student and I were in the pattern at our airport doing takeoff and landings. 20 minutes after sunset we were climbing off of Runway 17 after doing a stop and go. At 1;000 MSL feet on left crosswind; rolling out on heading 080 a Blackhawk UH60 with minimal lighting (Nav and red beacon; no strobes or landing lights) crossed from right to left at our altitude. We had to roll right to pass behind him; estimated closure to 300 FT or less (saw lights on panel in UH60). UH60 continued northwest and appeared to pass over the airport's south end at 1;000 MSL FT. No communications were ever received from the UH60. After landing; I called Approach and talked to the Supervisor. He advised that the UH60 was on an 'orientation' flight from the airport 8 [miles] southwest of our field and the Approach Controller was busy and did not provide a traffic alert to the UH60 as it approached our airport. We were 7 north of the primary airport; right at the transition altitude between our airport's G airspace (700 AGL) and the overlying E airspace. The Class C airspace begins at 1;700 MSL at that location. Normally aircraft 'Flying Around' would be well above the pattern altitude of 1;300 MSL or would be on advisories to let airport traffic know intentions. Our aircraft is equipped with Mode S TIS and alerted us to the traffic when less than 1/2 mile apart. The TIS normally only begins to work as we climb out of 700-800 FT and acquires the Mode S radar signal from the main airport. We are glad approach was running the Mode S instead of ATCRBS transmitter. We do not understand why a military aircraft would purposely fly through a VFR pattern; opposite direction to pattern traffic; without making radio calls on position and intentions; without every available light activated. Nor why an Approach Controller; no matter how busy; could miss the potential collision and not provide a Traffic Alert (Priority duty?) to the military aircraft.
A pilot reported taking evasive action during a near miss with a UH60 in the MBO CTAF traffic pattern with no communications.