Narrative:

We were on a military reserve instrument/airways training flight, combined with passenger drop-off and pick-up at syracuse, ny. Approach control vectored us to final for a visual approach to runway 28, but we were on an IFR flight plan. At 2000' MSL and approximately 3 mi from the airport with runway 28 in sight, we were switched to tower frequency, but told by approach control that we were #2 for the airport following an light transport on a 1 1/2 mi final for runway 32. We saw the light transport, agreed that he would precede us through the intersection of runways 28 and 32, and switched to tower frequency. After checking in with tower and at approximately 2 mi on final, tower told us we were now #2 for runway 28 following a single-engine Y small aircraft. I became very concerned because we could not see the small aircraft, and at our 140 KT approach speed there was not much time to see him, not to mention his clearing the runway before our touchdown. I told the tower that we had the light transport, but not the small aircraft in sight. The next thing we heard was 'make a left 360', but without any call sign mentioned. The pilot at the controls in the left seat started an immediate left turn as I continued to look for the small aircraft traffic. About 90 degree through our evasive turn, the tower asked another aircraft on final to runway 32 if he had the spc (us) in sight. He said that he had and that we were headed toward him at the same time as he began a descending turn to the right to put distance between us. We then began an immediate climbing right turn to avoid this air carrier flight Z. The tower then gave us an easterly heading away from the airport as the air carrier flight continued his final approach and landed. The tower did not assign any altitude and I said that we wanted to remain under positive control. We were then given 2000', vectored back to final, and re-cleared to land. The apparent problem is this situation was caused by too tight a traffic mix to 2 intersecting runways, compounded by lack of call sign usage. The tower later claimed that he had directed the small aircraft to make a left 360, not us, but no one else heard the call sign. Additionally the small aircraft was between us and the runway threshold and below us in altitude, so why would a left 360 help his situation either. The PIC of the air carrier flight and I both discussed the situation with the watch supervisor at syracuse tower, and no further action was taken at that time according to the watch supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAFFIC SITUATION CREATED LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN FINAL APCH AREA.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A MIL RESERVE INSTRUMENT/AIRWAYS TRAINING FLT, COMBINED WITH PAX DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP AT SYRACUSE, NY. APCH CTL VECTORED US TO FINAL FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28, BUT WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. AT 2000' MSL AND APPROX 3 MI FROM THE ARPT WITH RWY 28 IN SIGHT, WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ, BUT TOLD BY APCH CTL THAT WE WERE #2 FOR THE ARPT FOLLOWING AN LTT ON A 1 1/2 MI FINAL FOR RWY 32. WE SAW THE LTT, AGREED THAT HE WOULD PRECEDE US THROUGH THE INTXN OF RWYS 28 AND 32, AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. AFTER CHECKING IN WITH TWR AND AT APPROX 2 MI ON FINAL, TWR TOLD US WE WERE NOW #2 FOR RWY 28 FOLLOWING A SINGLE-ENGINE Y SMA. I BECAME VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE WE COULD NOT SEE THE SMA, AND AT OUR 140 KT APCH SPEED THERE WAS NOT MUCH TIME TO SEE HIM, NOT TO MENTION HIS CLEARING THE RWY BEFORE OUR TOUCHDOWN. I TOLD THE TWR THAT WE HAD THE LTT, BUT NOT THE SMA IN SIGHT. THE NEXT THING WE HEARD WAS 'MAKE A LEFT 360', BUT WITHOUT ANY CALL SIGN MENTIONED. THE PLT AT THE CONTROLS IN THE LEFT SEAT STARTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN AS I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR THE SMA TFC. ABOUT 90 DEG THROUGH OUR EVASIVE TURN, THE TWR ASKED ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 32 IF HE HAD THE SPC (US) IN SIGHT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD AND THAT WE WERE HEADED TOWARD HIM AT THE SAME TIME AS HE BEGAN A DSNDING TURN TO THE RIGHT TO PUT DISTANCE BETWEEN US. WE THEN BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TO AVOID THIS ACR FLT Z. THE TWR THEN GAVE US AN EASTERLY HDG AWAY FROM THE ARPT AS THE ACR FLT CONTINUED HIS FINAL APCH AND LANDED. THE TWR DID NOT ASSIGN ANY ALT AND I SAID THAT WE WANTED TO REMAIN UNDER POSITIVE CTL. WE WERE THEN GIVEN 2000', VECTORED BACK TO FINAL, AND RE-CLRED TO LAND. THE APPARENT PROBLEM IS THIS SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY TOO TIGHT A TFC MIX TO 2 INTERSECTING RWYS, COMPOUNDED BY LACK OF CALL SIGN USAGE. THE TWR LATER CLAIMED THAT HE HAD DIRECTED THE SMA TO MAKE A LEFT 360, NOT US, BUT NO ONE ELSE HEARD THE CALL SIGN. ADDITIONALLY THE SMA WAS BETWEEN US AND THE RWY THRESHOLD AND BELOW US IN ALT, SO WHY WOULD A LEFT 360 HELP HIS SITUATION EITHER. THE PIC OF THE ACR FLT AND I BOTH DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE WATCH SUPVR AT SYRACUSE TWR, AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN AT THAT TIME ACCORDING TO THE WATCH SUPVR.

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.