Commuter descending for approach had near midair collision with small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	149529
Time
Date	199006
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : esf
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : aex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	149529
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 75 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon descent into the alexandria esler field as we were passing through 7200', I spotted an small aircraft at our 2 O'clock position and less than 500' horizontal at approximately 7000'. We were already doing 2000 FPM descent into esler due to our close proximity to the airport (30 mi southeast of the field). We had to take evasive action by going to flight idle on our power selection and dive to the right. The small aircraft passed off our 11:30 position at less than 75'. When asking approach control about the traffic, he said 'we were flying in a large dark area on his screen and that we were painted as a secondary target only.' he also said he did not paint the conflicting traffic. The small aircraft was talking to nobody. Small aircraft was flying on a 190 degree heading directly into a large area of level 3-4 thunderstorm activity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER DESCENDING FOR APCH HAD NMAC WITH SMA.

Narrative: UPON DSNT INTO THE ALEXANDRIA ESLER FIELD AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 7200', I SPOTTED AN SMA AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 500' HORIZ AT APPROX 7000'. WE WERE ALREADY DOING 2000 FPM DSNT INTO ESLER DUE TO OUR CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT (30 MI SE OF THE FIELD). WE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BY GOING TO FLT IDLE ON OUR PWR SELECTION AND DIVE TO THE R. THE SMA PASSED OFF OUR 11:30 POS AT LESS THAN 75'. WHEN ASKING APCH CTL ABOUT THE TFC, HE SAID 'WE WERE FLYING IN A LARGE DARK AREA ON HIS SCREEN AND THAT WE WERE PAINTED AS A SECONDARY TARGET ONLY.' HE ALSO SAID HE DID NOT PAINT THE CONFLICTING TFC. THE SMA WAS TALKING TO NOBODY. SMA WAS FLYING ON A 190 DEG HDG DIRECTLY INTO A LARGE AREA OF LEVEL 3-4 TSTM ACTIVITY.

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.