Narrative:

At 2300' MSL, heading 175 degrees, 190 KTS (assigned), flaps 2, 142K pounds gross weight, on right downwind runway 36R clt, we thought that ATC had vectored us a little closer to the runway than normal. Approximately 5 mi southeast of the airport, ATC called traffic for us to follow at our 1 O'clock and 4 mi over carowinds (an amusement park). The captain could not see the traffic because it was low and close to us. First officer did not call the traffic in sight. We were then given a heading of 270 degrees for the base leg and traffic was called again on 1 mi final. The first officer called negative contact on the traffic and ATC responded with a vector of 300 and requested we increase speed 20 KTS. We complied, retracting our flaps while ATC issued traffic advisories to several other aircraft before calling commuter traffic for us (off our left on final for 36L) and turning us over to clt tower. At this point we had flown through runway 36R localizer with no approach clearance and no way to query ATC due to radio congestion. As we switched to tower we noted our close proximity to the commuter and smoothly climbed to 2700' MSL while turning toward 36R. Tower at this time cleared us for the visibility approach and to land, issuing a wake turbulence warning to the commuter who reported he had us in sight. The commuter aircraft did not appear to change course or altitude and made a normal landing on 36L. We made a normal landing on 36R. ATC tapes were reviewed and approach control floor manager reported to clt chief pilot that the error was ATC. We received this in on 3/X/89. Recommendations: 1) reduce radio congestion with up/down links, more sectors, more sep. 2) reduce airport traffic. 3) reduce speeds when vectoring to the localizer--especially when close to the approach end of the runway. 4) increase traffic pattern size when vectoring--not so close to runway. 5) ensure that approach clearance is given early enough prior to localizer intercept that traffic pointed out by ATC does not interfere with that clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT VECTORED THROUGH LOCALIZER COURSE AND CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT MAKING AN APCH.

Narrative: AT 2300' MSL, HDG 175 DEGS, 190 KTS (ASSIGNED), FLAPS 2, 142K LBS GROSS WT, ON RIGHT DOWNWIND RWY 36R CLT, WE THOUGHT THAT ATC HAD VECTORED US A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE RWY THAN NORMAL. APPROX 5 MI SE OF THE ARPT, ATC CALLED TFC FOR US TO FOLLOW AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK AND 4 MI OVER CAROWINDS (AN AMUSEMENT PARK). THE CAPT COULD NOT SEE THE TFC BECAUSE IT WAS LOW AND CLOSE TO US. F/O DID NOT CALL THE TFC IN SIGHT. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HDG OF 270 DEGS FOR THE BASE LEG AND TFC WAS CALLED AGAIN ON 1 MI FINAL. THE F/O CALLED NEGATIVE CONTACT ON THE TFC AND ATC RESPONDED WITH A VECTOR OF 300 AND REQUESTED WE INCREASE SPD 20 KTS. WE COMPLIED, RETRACTING OUR FLAPS WHILE ATC ISSUED TFC ADVISORIES TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT BEFORE CALLING COMMUTER TFC FOR US (OFF OUR LEFT ON FINAL FOR 36L) AND TURNING US OVER TO CLT TWR. AT THIS POINT WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH RWY 36R LOC WITH NO APCH CLRNC AND NO WAY TO QUERY ATC DUE TO RADIO CONGESTION. AS WE SWITCHED TO TWR WE NOTED OUR CLOSE PROX TO THE COMMUTER AND SMOOTHLY CLBED TO 2700' MSL WHILE TURNING TOWARD 36R. TWR AT THIS TIME CLRED US FOR THE VIS APCH AND TO LAND, ISSUING A WAKE TURB WARNING TO THE COMMUTER WHO RPTED HE HAD US IN SIGHT. THE COMMUTER ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO CHANGE COURSE OR ALT AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON 36L. WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON 36R. ATC TAPES WERE REVIEWED AND APCH CTL FLOOR MGR RPTED TO CLT CHIEF PLT THAT THE ERROR WAS ATC. WE RECEIVED THIS IN ON 3/X/89. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REDUCE RADIO CONGESTION WITH UP/DOWN LINKS, MORE SECTORS, MORE SEP. 2) REDUCE ARPT TFC. 3) REDUCE SPDS WHEN VECTORING TO THE LOC--ESPECIALLY WHEN CLOSE TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY. 4) INCREASE TFC PATTERN SIZE WHEN VECTORING--NOT SO CLOSE TO RWY. 5) ENSURE THAT APCH CLRNC IS GIVEN EARLY ENOUGH PRIOR TO LOC INTERCEPT THAT TFC POINTED OUT BY ATC DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THAT CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.