Narrative:

I was flying our aircraft at 6000' MSL on a heading of 150 degrees (both assigned by atl approach control) for intercept of runway 8L localizer. We were approximately 20 mi northwest of atl. WX was VFR and it was dusk. The other aircraft was initially at a higher altitude than we were, heading west on a left downwind for runway 8L. Both aircraft had landing lights on. I first noticed the other aircraft when he was above our altitude some time before the conflict occurred. I perceived that he would pass well above us and thought he was either climbing out on departure or would pass overhead and follow us to atl. My aircraft speed was at approximately 190 KTS. I assume his speed was similar. Atl approach control first pointed out that traffic to us as we were rapidly closing. In his issuing of the traffic, the controller said the aircraft was descending out of 6500' and asked if we saw him. My first officer acknowledged that we saw him, and I believe the controller then told us to follow that traffic to 8L. When I heard that the other aircraft was descending out of 6500', it was my first indication that we had an impending conflict. The other aircraft was doing something I had not perceived. When the controller told us to follow him, the other aircraft had just started his turn to the south for base leg and I immediately could see there was no way we could follow him as we were closing much too fast. Depth perception became much better as we he began his turn as I was able to see his wings/fuselage. Prior to that all I could see of the traffic were his lights. As we closed, I immediately turned off the autoplt and turned out to the south and pulled up slightly as I could see he would pass below us. He did not see us until the conflict occurred and evaded us by descending. We crossed paths with approximately 500' of sep. Had I not pulled out and up and the other aircraft pushed over, we would have come much closer. My assessment of the conflict is that the controller put the 2 aircraft on a collision course and then issued us instructions to provide visibility sep in a near impossible condition to do so west/O a conflict. I believe that traffic sep was not provided, nor was adequate traffic advisory provided. Supplemental information from acn 173673: about this time the medium large transport pilot stated he would call that 'a near miss,' to which I would agree. It seemed almost as if we were vectored on a collision course, then told to provide our own sep. In this instance, the only sep was that provided by the pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 MLGS ARE VECTORED INTO AN NMAC SITUATION BY APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING OUR ACFT AT 6000' MSL ON A HDG OF 150 DEGS (BOTH ASSIGNED BY ATL APCH CTL) FOR INTERCEPT OF RWY 8L LOC. WE WERE APPROX 20 MI NW OF ATL. WX WAS VFR AND IT WAS DUSK. THE OTHER ACFT WAS INITIALLY AT A HIGHER ALT THAN WE WERE, HDG W ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8L. BOTH ACFT HAD LNDG LIGHTS ON. I FIRST NOTICED THE OTHER ACFT WHEN HE WAS ABOVE OUR ALT SOME TIME BEFORE THE CONFLICT OCCURRED. I PERCEIVED THAT HE WOULD PASS WELL ABOVE US AND THOUGHT HE WAS EITHER CLBING OUT ON DEP OR WOULD PASS OVERHEAD AND FOLLOW US TO ATL. MY ACFT SPD WAS AT APPROX 190 KTS. I ASSUME HIS SPD WAS SIMILAR. ATL APCH CTL FIRST POINTED OUT THAT TFC TO US AS WE WERE RAPIDLY CLOSING. IN HIS ISSUING OF THE TFC, THE CTLR SAID THE ACFT WAS DSNDING OUT OF 6500' AND ASKED IF WE SAW HIM. MY F/O ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE SAW HIM, AND I BELIEVE THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO FOLLOW THAT TFC TO 8L. WHEN I HEARD THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS DSNDING OUT OF 6500', IT WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT WE HAD AN IMPENDING CONFLICT. THE OTHER ACFT WAS DOING SOMETHING I HAD NOT PERCEIVED. WHEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO FOLLOW HIM, THE OTHER ACFT HAD JUST STARTED HIS TURN TO THE S FOR BASE LEG AND I IMMEDIATELY COULD SEE THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD FOLLOW HIM AS WE WERE CLOSING MUCH TOO FAST. DEPTH PERCEPTION BECAME MUCH BETTER AS WE HE BEGAN HIS TURN AS I WAS ABLE TO SEE HIS WINGS/FUSELAGE. PRIOR TO THAT ALL I COULD SEE OF THE TFC WERE HIS LIGHTS. AS WE CLOSED, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND TURNED OUT TO THE S AND PULLED UP SLIGHTLY AS I COULD SEE HE WOULD PASS BELOW US. HE DID NOT SEE US UNTIL THE CONFLICT OCCURRED AND EVADED US BY DSNDING. WE CROSSED PATHS WITH APPROX 500' OF SEP. HAD I NOT PULLED OUT AND UP AND THE OTHER ACFT PUSHED OVER, WE WOULD HAVE COME MUCH CLOSER. MY ASSESSMENT OF THE CONFLICT IS THAT THE CTLR PUT THE 2 ACFT ON A COLLISION COURSE AND THEN ISSUED US INSTRUCTIONS TO PROVIDE VIS SEP IN A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE CONDITION TO DO SO W/O A CONFLICT. I BELIEVE THAT TFC SEP WAS NOT PROVIDED, NOR WAS ADEQUATE TFC ADVISORY PROVIDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 173673: ABOUT THIS TIME THE MLG PLT STATED HE WOULD CALL THAT 'A NEAR MISS,' TO WHICH I WOULD AGREE. IT SEEMED ALMOST AS IF WE WERE VECTORED ON A COLLISION COURSE, THEN TOLD TO PROVIDE OUR OWN SEP. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE ONLY SEP WAS THAT PROVIDED BY THE PLTS.

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.