What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/26/2014 at 0616Z a U.S. Air force refueling tanker was on a military mission to refuel a fighter aircraft traveling to the Continental united states west coast.
The refueling tanker experienced mechanical problems and was unable to refuel the fighter jets. Flight group consisting of the tanker and fighters made an emergency climb to FL350. The tanker pilot received clearance to maintain FL310, the fighters stayed at FL350 while the tanker pilot descended to FL310 block FL340. The fighter group climbed to FL370 to conserve fuel on its return to Hawaii. F-18 fighters declared a fuel emergency, but were unable to get clearance to maintain FL370 due to conflicting traffic in the area. The tanker pilot contacted oakland center pacific area (OC3) supervisor and stated that the flight group climbed from FL270 to FL350 and turned back to Hawaii without clearance. OC3 controller issued traffic information to known traffic.
The emergency climb and turnaround by both military aircrafts produced a possible loss of separation with various commercial flights. An OCEAN21 system replay observed the possible loss of separation of both the military and commercial aircraft.
Additional information received from KC-10 tanker evaluator pilot relating to the mission: while enroute the KC-10 tanker encountered maintenance problems and could not transfer fuel to the fighters. The fuel divert base at this point was Hilo, Hawaii, so the formation had to turn around immediately due to low fuel status for the fighter group. The fighters were at a point in their flight plan and fuel status that forced the fighters to climb to attain the best range altitude to conserve fuel at FL370. The formation received clearance for FL330 to FL350. However the fighters declared a fuel emergency, but were unable to get a clearance to FL370 due to confliction traffic in the area.
Reference: FAA form 8020-11, incident no: ZOA-ARTCC-071
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/26/2014 AT 0616Z A U.S. AIR FORCE REFUELING TANKER WAS ON A MILITARY MISSION TO REFUEL A FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TRAVELING TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES WEST COAST.
THE REFUELING TANKER EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND WAS UNABLE TO REFUEL THE FIGHTER JETS. FLIGHT GROUP CONSISTING OF THE TANKER AND FIGHTERS MADE AN EMERGENCY CLIMB TO FL350. THE TANKER PILOT RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO MAINTAIN FL310, THE FIGHTERS STAYED AT FL350 WHILE THE TANKER PILOT DESCENDED TO FL310 BLOCK FL340. THE FIGHTER GROUP CLIMBED TO FL370 TO CONSERVE FUEL ON ITS RETURN TO HAWAII. F-18 FIGHTERS DECLARED A FUEL EMERGENCY, BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET CLEARANCE TO MAINTAIN FL370 DUE TO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC IN THE AREA. THE TANKER PILOT CONTACTED OAKLAND CENTER PACIFIC AREA (OC3) SUPERVISOR AND STATED THAT THE FLIGHT GROUP CLIMBED FROM FL270 TO FL350 AND TURNED BACK TO HAWAII WITHOUT CLEARANCE. OC3 CONTROLLER ISSUED TRAFFIC INFORMATION TO KNOWN TRAFFIC.
THE EMERGENCY CLIMB AND TURNAROUND BY BOTH MILITARY AIRCRAFTS PRODUCED A POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH VARIOUS COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS. AN OCEAN21 SYSTEM REPLAY OBSERVED THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEPARATION OF BOTH THE MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM KC-10 TANKER EVALUATOR PILOT RELATING TO THE MISSION: WHILE ENROUTE THE KC-10 TANKER ENCOUNTERED MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS AND COULD NOT TRANSFER FUEL TO THE FIGHTERS. THE FUEL DIVERT BASE AT THIS POINT WAS HILO, HAWAII, SO THE FORMATION HAD TO TURN AROUND IMMEDIATELY DUE TO LOW FUEL STATUS FOR THE FIGHTER GROUP. THE FIGHTERS WERE AT A POINT IN THEIR FLIGHT PLAN AND FUEL STATUS THAT FORCED THE FIGHTERS TO CLIMB TO ATTAIN THE BEST RANGE ALTITUDE TO CONSERVE FUEL AT FL370. THE FORMATION RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR FL330 TO FL350. HOWEVER THE FIGHTERS DECLARED A FUEL EMERGENCY, BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET A CLEARANCE TO FL370 DUE TO CONFLICTION TRAFFIC IN THE AREA.
REFERENCE: FAA FORM 8020-11, INCIDENT NO: ZOA-ARTCC-071