Narrative:

We were vectored to the south side of the airport and told to expect runway 27L. A descent clearance to 3500' and a turn to heading 350 degrees was issued. The captain reported the field in sight. The controller did not reply. It became obvious that on his assigned heading we were going to overshoot our assigned runway. We observed an heavy transport descending on final for runway 26R that we were going to conflict with if we remained on the assigned heading. As we keyed the microphone to query the controller as to his intentions, he began a long radio conversation with the heavy transport. We had the aircraft in sight and had no intention of allowing a midair to occur. My captain asked the controller what his intentions were when the radio chatter cleared. It was obvious that the controller had no plan--that he had forgotten us. By this time we were approaching the extended centerline of 26L. The controller quickly told us to maintain sep from the heavy transport and cleared us for the visibility. Our flight path took us in front of the heavy transport, but below his altitude. Had we not made this turn on our own, a high probability of midair existed. Supplemental information from acn 147942: while being vectored to a visibility final to runway 27R at atl, approach controller vectored us through our own final approach course and into the path and close proximity of another aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT ACR-HVT WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO ATL.

Narrative: WE WERE VECTORED TO THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT AND TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 27L. A DSNT CLRNC TO 3500' AND A TURN TO HDG 350 DEGS WAS ISSUED. THE CAPT RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE CTLR DID NOT REPLY. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT ON HIS ASSIGNED HDG WE WERE GOING TO OVERSHOOT OUR ASSIGNED RWY. WE OBSERVED AN HVT DSNDING ON FINAL FOR RWY 26R THAT WE WERE GOING TO CONFLICT WITH IF WE REMAINED ON THE ASSIGNED HDG. AS WE KEYED THE MIC TO QUERY THE CTLR AS TO HIS INTENTIONS, HE BEGAN A LONG RADIO CONVERSATION WITH THE HVT. WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND HAD NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING A MIDAIR TO OCCUR. MY CAPT ASKED THE CTLR WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE WHEN THE RADIO CHATTER CLRED. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE CTLR HAD NO PLAN--THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN US. BY THIS TIME WE WERE APCHING THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF 26L. THE CTLR QUICKLY TOLD US TO MAINTAIN SEP FROM THE HVT AND CLRED US FOR THE VIS. OUR FLT PATH TOOK US IN FRONT OF THE HVT, BUT BELOW HIS ALT. HAD WE NOT MADE THIS TURN ON OUR OWN, A HIGH PROBABILITY OF MIDAIR EXISTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 147942: WHILE BEING VECTORED TO A VIS FINAL TO RWY 27R AT ATL, APCH CTLR VECTORED US THROUGH OUR OWN FINAL APCH COURSE AND INTO THE PATH AND CLOSE PROX OF ANOTHER ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.