Narrative:

While on final (visibility approach to runway 23) into norfolk, va, we had a near miss with a single engine small aircraft crossing the final approach path. Approach control had cleared us for a visibility approach and we had just contacted norfolk tower. Norfolk tower had cleared us to land. While performing the before landing checklist, I looked up and saw an aircraft coming toward us at the same altitude. I called out the traffic to the captain who took evasive action. The aircraft passed above and behind ours inside of 200'. The near miss was caused by several factors in my opinion. First, the small aircraft was in a controled environment in an air traffic area but was not communicating with anybody. Second, he was crossing the final approach area at the final approach altitude of the active runway at a nearby airport. Third, since he was not transponder equipped, (or did not have it on) we received no warning of an impending conflict from our TCAS (which was operable and turned on). Fourth, tower was not monitoring their radar and did not see the aircraft until we advised them of the near miss. Fifth, had we been looking 'outside the cockpit', more vigilantly we might have seen the aircraft sooner and adjusted our flight path accordingly thus avoiding a 'near miss'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG HAD NMAC WITH SMA HIGH WING AT OM OF RWY 23 AT ORF.

Narrative: WHILE ON FINAL (VIS APCH TO RWY 23) INTO NORFOLK, VA, WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A SINGLE ENG SMA XING THE FINAL APCH PATH. APCH CTL HAD CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH AND WE HAD JUST CONTACTED NORFOLK TWR. NORFOLK TWR HAD CLRED US TO LAND. WHILE PERFORMING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, I LOOKED UP AND SAW AN ACFT COMING TOWARD US AT THE SAME ALT. I CALLED OUT THE TFC TO THE CAPT WHO TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. THE ACFT PASSED ABOVE AND BEHIND OURS INSIDE OF 200'. THE NEAR MISS WAS CAUSED BY SEVERAL FACTORS IN MY OPINION. FIRST, THE SMA WAS IN A CTLED ENVIRONMENT IN AN ATA BUT WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH ANYBODY. SECOND, HE WAS XING THE FINAL APCH AREA AT THE FINAL APCH ALT OF THE ACTIVE RWY AT A NEARBY ARPT. THIRD, SINCE HE WAS NOT XPONDER EQUIPPED, (OR DID NOT HAVE IT ON) WE RECEIVED NO WARNING OF AN IMPENDING CONFLICT FROM OUR TCAS (WHICH WAS OPERABLE AND TURNED ON). FOURTH, TWR WAS NOT MONITORING THEIR RADAR AND DID NOT SEE THE ACFT UNTIL WE ADVISED THEM OF THE NEAR MISS. FIFTH, HAD WE BEEN LOOKING 'OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT', MORE VIGILANTLY WE MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE ACFT SOONER AND ADJUSTED OUR FLT PATH ACCORDINGLY THUS AVOIDING A 'NEAR MISS'.

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.