Air carrier has close proximity with heavy transport on approach into lax. Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	188936
Time
Date	199109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	188936
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 15000
ASRS Report	189554
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Incident occurred while being given radar vectors to lax runway 25L from the northeast of the airport. We were being stepped down at 500 ft increments and finally given a turn south onto a base leg with descent clearance to 3500 ft. I called out to the captain '800 ft to go' at which time I saw a heavy foreign jet at 12 O'clock and 3 mi in our turn at our altitude. To this point we had not heard any communication with this aircraft. It was in a right turn more or less on a dog leg to either runway 25 or runway 24. I called out the traffic to our crew and told approach control. However, I received no response from approach. I was leaning forward to maintain visual contact and did not see the captain pass through our assigned altitude. At 3200 ft the captain noticed the deviation and pulled back up to 3500 ft. The heavy would have crossed dangerously close had it not continued its descent to 2500 ft (we were told of his altitude later). It landed 24R and we passed directly over it at 3500 ft. Had approach kept us advised of the traffic there would not have been the undue distraction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS CLOSE PROX WITH HVT ON APCH INTO LAX. ALT DEV.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE BEING GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO LAX RWY 25L FROM THE NE OF THE ARPT. WE WERE BEING STEPPED DOWN AT 500 FT INCREMENTS AND FINALLY GIVEN A TURN S ONTO A BASE LEG WITH DSCNT CLRNC TO 3500 FT. I CALLED OUT TO THE CAPT '800 FT TO GO' AT WHICH TIME I SAW A HVY FOREIGN JET AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI IN OUR TURN AT OUR ALT. TO THIS POINT WE HAD NOT HEARD ANY COM WITH THIS ACFT. IT WAS IN A R TURN MORE OR LESS ON A DOG LEG TO EITHER RWY 25 OR RWY 24. I CALLED OUT THE TFC TO OUR CREW AND TOLD APCH CTL. HOWEVER, I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM APCH. I WAS LEANING FORWARD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT AND DID NOT SEE THE CAPT PASS THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT. AT 3200 FT THE CAPT NOTICED THE DEV AND PULLED BACK UP TO 3500 FT. THE HVY WOULD HAVE CROSSED DANGEROUSLY CLOSE HAD IT NOT CONTINUED ITS DSCNT TO 2500 FT (WE WERE TOLD OF HIS ALT LATER). IT LANDED 24R AND WE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER IT AT 3500 FT. HAD APCH KEPT US ADVISED OF THE TFC THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE UNDUE DISTR.

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.