Narrative:

As we approached slc we were cleared direct to ogd VOR, then via the ogd 153 radial to slc. 30 mi from slc the captain called for the approach checklist. With a lack of a runway assignment, the captain and I decided to enter the 16R approach into the FMS and navigation radios. This decision was made based on the fact that 16R was the longer of the 2 landing runways. 10 mi south of ogd VOR and at an altitude of 8100' MSL, slc approach control told us to turn to a 130 degree heading to intercept the 16L approach frequency and the captain turned the aircraft to the 130 degree heading. As the turn was completed the captain pointed out a military spc off to our immediate left. The spc was in a steep climbing right turn at our altitude or slightly above us. The captain determined that the evasive action of the spc would be enough to prevent a midair so no action was taken on our part, the aircraft passed to our left and slightly above us. I asked approach control if they knew anything about this traffic. I was told that this target had just shown up on his radar and was at an altitude of 8500' MSL, but should have been at a lower altitude. The captain and I contacted the slc approach control watch supervisor to discuss what had happened. We expressed our concern over the apparent lack of coordination of traffic between hill AFB and slc and our displeasure in receiving late runway assignment. He advised us that all hill departures are supposed to follow a procedure that keeps them clear of all slc departures and arrs and that he would find out why it was not followed by the spc. As for the late runway assignment, he said it was done in order to expedite arrs and departures into slc. While this practice may expedite traffic it definitely compromises safety. It is my belief that cockpit crews should be furnished with a landing runway as soon as possible (preferably a runway with full ILS capabilities). Having this information would allow us to program our FMS and navigation radios at a time of relatively low workload. I had to divert my attention from outside the aircraft in order to tune in the ILS, therefore, never seeing this conflicting traffic until the captain pointed it out to me. I point out that this practice of late runway assignments is not limited to slc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT MIL-SPC JUST OUTSIDE SLC ARSA.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED SLC WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO OGD VOR, THEN VIA THE OGD 153 RADIAL TO SLC. 30 MI FROM SLC THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE APCH CHECKLIST. WITH A LACK OF A RWY ASSIGNMENT, THE CAPT AND I DECIDED TO ENTER THE 16R APCH INTO THE FMS AND NAV RADIOS. THIS DECISION WAS MADE BASED ON THE FACT THAT 16R WAS THE LONGER OF THE 2 LNDG RWYS. 10 MI S OF OGD VOR AND AT AN ALT OF 8100' MSL, SLC APCH CTL TOLD US TO TURN TO A 130 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 16L APCH FREQ AND THE CAPT TURNED THE ACFT TO THE 130 DEG HDG. AS THE TURN WAS COMPLETED THE CAPT POINTED OUT A MIL SPC OFF TO OUR IMMEDIATE LEFT. THE SPC WAS IN A STEEP CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AT OUR ALT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE US. THE CAPT DETERMINED THAT THE EVASIVE ACTION OF THE SPC WOULD BE ENOUGH TO PREVENT A MIDAIR SO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN ON OUR PART, THE ACFT PASSED TO OUR LEFT AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE US. I ASKED APCH CTL IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TFC. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS TARGET HAD JUST SHOWN UP ON HIS RADAR AND WAS AT AN ALT OF 8500' MSL, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT A LOWER ALT. THE CAPT AND I CONTACTED THE SLC APCH CTL WATCH SUPVR TO DISCUSS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN OVER THE APPARENT LACK OF COORD OF TFC BETWEEN HILL AFB AND SLC AND OUR DISPLEASURE IN RECEIVING LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT. HE ADVISED US THAT ALL HILL DEPS ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW A PROC THAT KEEPS THEM CLEAR OF ALL SLC DEPS AND ARRS AND THAT HE WOULD FIND OUT WHY IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY THE SPC. AS FOR THE LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT, HE SAID IT WAS DONE IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE ARRS AND DEPS INTO SLC. WHILE THIS PRACTICE MAY EXPEDITE TFC IT DEFINITELY COMPROMISES SAFETY. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT COCKPIT CREWS SHOULD BE FURNISHED WITH A LNDG RWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (PREFERABLY A RWY WITH FULL ILS CAPABILITIES). HAVING THIS INFO WOULD ALLOW US TO PROGRAM OUR FMS AND NAV RADIOS AT A TIME OF RELATIVELY LOW WORKLOAD. I HAD TO DIVERT MY ATTN FROM OUTSIDE THE ACFT IN ORDER TO TUNE IN THE ILS, THEREFORE, NEVER SEEING THIS CONFLICTING TFC UNTIL THE CAPT POINTED IT OUT TO ME. I POINT OUT THAT THIS PRACTICE OF LATE RWY ASSIGNMENTS IS NOT LIMITED TO SLC.

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.