Narrative:

A near miss occurred at santa flight engineer air traffic area. We had come from abq, approaching from the southeast. Radar service was terminated with abq departure, and we switched to tower frequency. ATIS advised us runway 20 was in use, with winds calm. We asked tower if we could use runway 2 if available. Traffic and winds permitting. Tower came back, clearing us to land on runway 2. Controller advised us of an small aircraft on an approach, outbnd to doman at 9000'. We were at 11000' descending to land. Both pilots stated position reports, ours being 11000' and then later at 9500' MSL. We both (captain and copilot) looked for the aircraft and I did spot the small aircraft at 11:30 position and approximately 500' lower. We turned slightly right to avoid. Seconds later, he made an immediate right turn. He must have just spotted us, and overreacted. In my estimation, we missed by approximately 1 mi and 500' horizontally. This could have been avoided by radar coverage from tower, issuing altitude restrictions to both of us, not having traffic shooting an approach and traffic landing on the same runway. Other factors, he was on a VFR practice approach. We were on a VFR flight plan with flight following that had been terminated by abq, and we were on final to runway 2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT COMMUTER FLT CREW HAD CONFLICT WITH VFR IN SANTA FE, NM, ATA.

Narrative: A NEAR MISS OCCURRED AT SANTA FE ATA. WE HAD COME FROM ABQ, APCHING FROM THE SE. RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED WITH ABQ DEP, AND WE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. ATIS ADVISED US RWY 20 WAS IN USE, WITH WINDS CALM. WE ASKED TWR IF WE COULD USE RWY 2 IF AVAILABLE. TFC AND WINDS PERMITTING. TWR CAME BACK, CLRING US TO LAND ON RWY 2. CTLR ADVISED US OF AN SMA ON AN APCH, OUTBND TO DOMAN AT 9000'. WE WERE AT 11000' DSNDING TO LAND. BOTH PLTS STATED POS RPTS, OURS BEING 11000' AND THEN LATER AT 9500' MSL. WE BOTH (CAPT AND COPLT) LOOKED FOR THE ACFT AND I DID SPOT THE SMA AT 11:30 POS AND APPROX 500' LOWER. WE TURNED SLIGHTLY R TO AVOID. SECS LATER, HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN. HE MUST HAVE JUST SPOTTED US, AND OVERREACTED. IN MY ESTIMATION, WE MISSED BY APPROX 1 MI AND 500' HORIZLY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY RADAR COVERAGE FROM TWR, ISSUING ALT RESTRICTIONS TO BOTH OF US, NOT HAVING TFC SHOOTING AN APCH AND TFC LNDG ON THE SAME RWY. OTHER FACTORS, HE WAS ON A VFR PRACTICE APCH. WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN WITH FLT FOLLOWING THAT HAD BEEN TERMINATED BY ABQ, AND WE WERE ON FINAL TO RWY 2.

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.