Narrative:

On approach after crossing over dulles field, we requested heading between build up which was approved by national approach. After by buildups we told approach we could go direct to dca. Approach said stay on present heading, traffic at 10 O'clock position, air carrier X, I believe at 6000' (we were at 7000'). We did not see this traffic, probably due to clouds. At about 12 DME, approach said, 'turn to heading 180 degrees, traffic no longer a factor.' justas I started turn I looked out of window to my left and saw traffic at 9-10 O'clock, about 500' below, climbing on slight turn to the right. We entered clouds about 1 second later, so I immediately changed my turn from 20 degree bank to 35-40 degree bank to 180 degrees. When we came out of cloud, air carrier Y heavy transport was crossing our path at 11:30 position, about 200' above us, climbing about 1/4 mi in front of us, about 230-240 degree heading. We could see outline of pilot's heads. I believe this happened because of WX and congestion. There was a fly-by at arlington cemetery which, from what we could tell, closed dca. We heard approach tell other aircraft of this. Apparently approach and departure were not talking to each other about us or our traffic, although I don't know how it could have been missed on the radar screen--especially after telling us 'traffic no longer a factor.' to determine nearness of other aircraft, the next morning we made side by side approach into msp to runways 11L and 11R. The air carrier Y heavy transport was closer than the aircraft beside us on approach into msp. As to how to prevent this, I don't know what to say. Maybe more discipline, deny fly-by at arlington cemetery, make airport traffic at dca top priority.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR-MLG COMPLAINT ABOUT CLOSE PROX WITH ANOTHER ACR WHILE BEING VECTORED IN THE DCA TCA.

Narrative: ON APCH AFTER XING OVER DULLES FIELD, WE REQUESTED HDG BTWN BUILD UP WHICH WAS APPROVED BY NATIONAL APCH. AFTER BY BUILDUPS WE TOLD APCH WE COULD GO DIRECT TO DCA. APCH SAID STAY ON PRESENT HDG, TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, ACR X, I BELIEVE AT 6000' (WE WERE AT 7000'). WE DID NOT SEE THIS TFC, PROBABLY DUE TO CLOUDS. AT ABOUT 12 DME, APCH SAID, 'TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS, TFC NO LONGER A FACTOR.' JUSTAS I STARTED TURN I LOOKED OUT OF WINDOW TO MY LEFT AND SAW TFC AT 9-10 O'CLOCK, ABOUT 500' BELOW, CLBING ON SLIGHT TURN TO THE RIGHT. WE ENTERED CLOUDS ABOUT 1 SEC LATER, SO I IMMEDIATELY CHANGED MY TURN FROM 20 DEG BANK TO 35-40 DEG BANK TO 180 DEGS. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF CLOUD, ACR Y HVT WAS XING OUR PATH AT 11:30 POS, ABOUT 200' ABOVE US, CLBING ABOUT 1/4 MI IN FRONT OF US, ABOUT 230-240 DEG HDG. WE COULD SEE OUTLINE OF PLT'S HEADS. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF WX AND CONGESTION. THERE WAS A FLY-BY AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY WHICH, FROM WHAT WE COULD TELL, CLOSED DCA. WE HEARD APCH TELL OTHER ACFT OF THIS. APPARENTLY APCH AND DEP WERE NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT US OR OUR TFC, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN MISSED ON THE RADAR SCREEN--ESPECIALLY AFTER TELLING US 'TFC NO LONGER A FACTOR.' TO DETERMINE NEARNESS OF OTHER ACFT, THE NEXT MORNING WE MADE SIDE BY SIDE APCH INTO MSP TO RWYS 11L AND 11R. THE ACR Y HVT WAS CLOSER THAN THE ACFT BESIDE US ON APCH INTO MSP. AS TO HOW TO PREVENT THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. MAYBE MORE DISCIPLINE, DENY FLY-BY AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY, MAKE ARPT TFC AT DCA TOP PRIORITY.

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.