Near midair collision between air carrier and small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	163597
Time
Date	199011
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7700 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : iad
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
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 : 110 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	163597
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	163523
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After passing doccs intersection dulles approach cleared us (medium large transport X) to descend to 9000'. Prior and during the descent we were watching traffic traveling right to left at some distance away, when dulles approach cleared us down further to 7000'. At about 9000' we spotted small aircraft Y and small aircraft Z at 12-12:30 position and closing head on rapidly. The copilot was veering left to avoid small aircraft Y when approach control instructed us to level at 8000'. I replied '8000' with both aircraft in sight.' while the copilot was veering and leveling I realized that this may be a problem because the other aircraft Z we were watching (flying right to left) appeared to be at 8000' also, and 'right' off our nose. I instructed the copilot to disengage the autoplt and be prepared for evasive action. At this moment small aircraft Z started a noticeable descent (from what appeared level flight or descending very slowly). He flew by our nose about 300' below us, my reply to approach control was 'this is as close as I want to get to any aircraft.' approach control responded that 'he was cleared to descend to 7000'.' another approach control voice stepped in and directed us from there to the final approach fix. This could have been avoided if we were given a heading that steered us clear of both aircraft, given an altitude above both aircraft. Also, it would have been helpful if approach control would have informed us of the traffic in the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN ACR AND SMALL ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING DOCCS INTXN DULLES APCH CLRED US (MLG X) TO DSND TO 9000'. PRIOR AND DURING THE DSNT WE WERE WATCHING TFC TRAVELING R TO L AT SOME DISTANCE AWAY, WHEN DULLES APCH CLRED US DOWN FURTHER TO 7000'. AT ABOUT 9000' WE SPOTTED SMA Y AND SMA Z AT 12-12:30 POS AND CLOSING HEAD ON RAPIDLY. THE COPLT WAS VEERING L TO AVOID SMA Y WHEN APCH CTL INSTRUCTED US TO LEVEL AT 8000'. I REPLIED '8000' WITH BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT.' WHILE THE COPLT WAS VEERING AND LEVELING I REALIZED THAT THIS MAY BE A PROB BECAUSE THE OTHER ACFT Z WE WERE WATCHING (FLYING R TO L) APPEARED TO BE AT 8000' ALSO, AND 'R' OFF OUR NOSE. I INSTRUCTED THE COPLT TO DISENGAGE THE AUTOPLT AND BE PREPARED FOR EVASIVE ACTION. AT THIS MOMENT SMA Z STARTED A NOTICEABLE DSNT (FROM WHAT APPEARED LEVEL FLT OR DSNDING VERY SLOWLY). HE FLEW BY OUR NOSE ABOUT 300' BELOW US, MY REPLY TO APCH CTL WAS 'THIS IS AS CLOSE AS I WANT TO GET TO ANY ACFT.' APCH CTL RESPONDED THAT 'HE WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 7000'.' ANOTHER APCH CTL VOICE STEPPED IN AND DIRECTED US FROM THERE TO THE FINAL APCH FIX. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE WERE GIVEN A HDG THAT STEERED US CLR OF BOTH ACFT, GIVEN AN ALT ABOVE BOTH ACFT. ALSO, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF APCH CTL WOULD HAVE INFORMED US OF THE TFC IN THE AREA.

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.