PastTense If the F-16 had continued on his course (and not turned) there would have been no collision, correct?
This sentence is the nightmare of any controller : you do not say anything and they collide ,or you give a suggestion or an instruction to avoid and they collide , you can never win , and a judge will crucify you for one or the other .
This is why many ATC OPS manuals are instructing controllers to only pass traffic info , and nothing else , but if it ends up in a collision unfortunately this also is not enough for a judge, you could always have done more . I feel very sorry for the controller involved in this .
Intruder :
Initially the Cessna was 300' below the F-16, but apparently continued climbing.
Was the Cessna supposed to stay below a certain altitude ? Was there a NOTAM indicating F16 exercises above a certain altitude in the area ?