Narrative:

We were on a vector for a visibility approach at naples. Reduced airspeed at fmy request to 210 KTS about 18 NM northwest of airport. Told we were following a commuter turbo propeller. Very congested approach frequency. Unknown to us and apparently unknown to approach controller, apf local approved a northbound small transport Y to transition the air traffic area at 2000' along shoreline. This happened while we were on approach frequency. About 6 NM northwest we were cleared for visibility approach for runway 13 with no mention of small transport Y VFR traffic. Flaps were at 20 degrees with airspeed at 180 KTS as we started the turn to final 4 mi northwest of airport. Small transport Y flashed below us in a split second. TRACON said the target was 12 O'clock, less than 1 mi, and just 'popped up,' apologized for late call and sent us over to tower frequency. Tower apparently had thought we were 6-7 mi and no factor for small aircraft Y. 2 separate controllers each knew of each other's presence until too late. It would be interesting to know if there is a pattern of near midair collision's involving VFR tower facs west/O BRITE displays and remote TRACON facs. Supplemental information from acn 171032: cleared for a visibility approach to runway 13, we had a near miss with an small transport Y. Approach control and tower were very busy with a lot of traffic. The small transport Y was transitioning through the naples airport area with approval from the tower and was talking to the tower. Our aircraft had been cleared for the visibility approach. We were just completing our turn to the final approach when the small transport Y passed below us by about 50'. The small transport Y took the evasive action to miss us. The captain saw the traffic too late to be able to take any action. I saw the traffic just as he was passing below us. After the traffic had passed below, approach called out the traffic to us saying he just 'popped up.' I really think that he was just too busy to notice the conflict. Besides being a sunday afternoon in february in florida, there was a major gold tournament going on in the naples area. Tower was also very busy and did not know that we were there as approach had not handed us off to the tower yet. We had been watching for traffic everywhere and had seen quite a bit of other traffic, just not the small aircraft Y. This was also a busy time for us as we were turning final, completing checklists and checking on passenger for seat belts, etc. On such a busy day, approach could use extra help, the tower could use a BRITE display at naples and we could have been looking outside more. If approach could have handed us off to the tower sooner, the tower could have called out the traffic to us even if we were not in sight to them. The small transport Y could have been more aware of possible traffic on the extended centerline for the active runway, as we were also on VASI G/south.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ON VISUAL APCH TO APF HAS NMAC WITH VFR SMT TRANSITING THE APF CTL ZONE. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A VECTOR FOR A VIS APCH AT NAPLES. REDUCED AIRSPD AT FMY REQUEST TO 210 KTS ABOUT 18 NM NW OF ARPT. TOLD WE WERE FOLLOWING A COMMUTER TURBO PROP. VERY CONGESTED APCH FREQ. UNKNOWN TO US AND APPARENTLY UNKNOWN TO APCH CTLR, APF LCL APPROVED A NBND SMT Y TO TRANSITION THE ATA AT 2000' ALONG SHORELINE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE ON APCH FREQ. ABOUT 6 NM NW WE WERE CLRED FOR VIS APCH FOR RWY 13 WITH NO MENTION OF SMT Y VFR TFC. FLAPS WERE AT 20 DEGS WITH AIRSPD AT 180 KTS AS WE STARTED THE TURN TO FINAL 4 MI NW OF ARPT. SMT Y FLASHED BELOW US IN A SPLIT SECOND. TRACON SAID THE TARGET WAS 12 O'CLOCK, LESS THAN 1 MI, AND JUST 'POPPED UP,' APOLOGIZED FOR LATE CALL AND SENT US OVER TO TWR FREQ. TWR APPARENTLY HAD THOUGHT WE WERE 6-7 MI AND NO FACTOR FOR SMA Y. 2 SEPARATE CTLRS EACH KNEW OF EACH OTHER'S PRESENCE UNTIL TOO LATE. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW IF THERE IS A PATTERN OF NMAC'S INVOLVING VFR TWR FACS W/O BRITE DISPLAYS AND REMOTE TRACON FACS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 171032: CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 13, WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH AN SMT Y. APCH CTL AND TWR WERE VERY BUSY WITH A LOT OF TFC. THE SMT Y WAS TRANSITIONING THROUGH THE NAPLES ARPT AREA WITH APPROVAL FROM THE TWR AND WAS TALKING TO THE TWR. OUR ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH. WE WERE JUST COMPLETING OUR TURN TO THE FINAL APCH WHEN THE SMT Y PASSED BELOW US BY ABOUT 50'. THE SMT Y TOOK THE EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS US. THE CAPT SAW THE TFC TOO LATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ANY ACTION. I SAW THE TFC JUST AS HE WAS PASSING BELOW US. AFTER THE TFC HAD PASSED BELOW, APCH CALLED OUT THE TFC TO US SAYING HE JUST 'POPPED UP.' I REALLY THINK THAT HE WAS JUST TOO BUSY TO NOTICE THE CONFLICT. BESIDES BEING A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN FEBRUARY IN FLORIDA, THERE WAS A MAJOR GOLD TOURNAMENT GOING ON IN THE NAPLES AREA. TWR WAS ALSO VERY BUSY AND DID NOT KNOW THAT WE WERE THERE AS APCH HAD NOT HANDED US OFF TO THE TWR YET. WE HAD BEEN WATCHING FOR TFC EVERYWHERE AND HAD SEEN QUITE A BIT OF OTHER TFC, JUST NOT THE SMA Y. THIS WAS ALSO A BUSY TIME FOR US AS WE WERE TURNING FINAL, COMPLETING CHKLISTS AND CHKING ON PAX FOR SEAT BELTS, ETC. ON SUCH A BUSY DAY, APCH COULD USE EXTRA HELP, THE TWR COULD USE A BRITE DISPLAY AT NAPLES AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUTSIDE MORE. IF APCH COULD HAVE HANDED US OFF TO THE TWR SOONER, THE TWR COULD HAVE CALLED OUT THE TFC TO US EVEN IF WE WERE NOT IN SIGHT TO THEM. THE SMT Y COULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF POSSIBLE TFC ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR THE ACTIVE RWY, AS WE WERE ALSO ON VASI G/S.

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.