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ADSB Traffic Cluster?

pilot28906

Well Known Member
Flying yesterday there was a cluster (maybe 8) of aircraft showing directly in front of my flight path but with no data on altitude, direction, or ID. I think one did say something like "op54". The traffic alert was going off but they all vanished as I got close. I did not visually see any traffic.

Any ideas what was going on with the ADSB?:confused:

Thanks
 
Flying yesterday there was a cluster (maybe 8) of aircraft showing directly in front of my flight path but with no data on altitude, direction, or ID. I think one did say something like "op54". The traffic alert was going off but they all vanished as I got close. I did not visually see any traffic.

Any ideas what was going on with the ADSB?:confused:

Thanks

Did you happen to be atop an airport where it may be picking up ground targets?
 
Us too

We have also seen some clusters of traffic nowhere near any airport with no altitude and speed. And we have seen them all over the country. They disappear as you got close. I assume the adsb system generated them for some reason, but have no ideas what is going on. Not a big issue for me.
 
Slightly off topic, I saw traffic below me a couple of weeks ago at less than 3000 moving very fast left to right with no ADSB target displayed. I just happened to see him. He appeared to be on an airway, probably military . . . or a UFO. Could have been a bad day for someone out for a pleasure flight. Reminded me of the 2 guys killed in a Cessna by a military jet at low altitude near Charleston a few years back. The CHS controller called the traffic to the jet, but he did not climb or otherwise avoid. He flew right through them from wingtip to wingtip and I am sure the Cessna never knew he was there. I would much rather have some kind of ADSB target to alert me, even if it might be false, than no warning at all, but it appears the military is not always squawking.
 
I see stuff like that in flat Texas regularly. I think it is ATC radar picking up windmills and other ground clutter. They show up as TIS traffic on my display, usually clustered together, not moving significantly.
 
A couple of questions since my curiosity is piqued... :)

Do you recall how far away the targets were when you first saw them on the display?

What ADS-B equipment are you using?

Dave

Flying yesterday there was a cluster (maybe 8) of aircraft showing directly in front of my flight path but with no data on altitude, direction, or ID. I think one did say something like "op54". The traffic alert was going off but they all vanished as I got close. I did not visually see any traffic.

Any ideas what was going on with the ADSB?:confused:

Thanks
 
Thanks for the responses.

I was not near any airport, in fact in a mountainous rural area.

The cluster appeared around 10 NM.

I am using the uAvionics Echo ADSB.
 
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