Narrative:

The first officer and myself were northeast of the lga VOR over long island sound when we started to receive radar vectors from new york approach control for the expressway visual 31 approach. The first officer was flying so I was handling radio communications. We were told by ATC to proceed direct to the lga VOR and after passing the VOR to take up a heading of 270 degree. All of this is at 4000 ft MSL. After passing the lga VOR we turned 270 degree. After flying this heading and upon reaching the hudson river we were given a heading of 220 degrees by ATC. Now while all of this is going on, there is an light transport turbo passenger, flight Y, at 2000 ft VFR receiving the same headings from the same controller. In fact I could look out my left window and see him directly below us, slightly off to my left. When the light transport Y and ourselves were just southwest of the statue of liberty, ATC gave a heading of 120 degrees to the light transport Y. I could still see the light transport and saw him turn. The next vectors were for us. I was pretty certain the controller told us to turn 120 degrees also. At least that is the heading I read back. Off to our right we noticed an aircraft Z with its landing lights on inbound for the expressway visual 31 approach. Now at this time there was no cause for alarm but I was getting the feeling that this wasn't going to work. The controller was extremely busy so before I could call him he told us to turn right to 220 degrees and descend to 3000 ft 'immediately'. We did what he requested and although I would not classify this as a near miss, I think it had the potential to be. We always had the air carrier large transport Z in sight. He was inbound on the lga VOR 225 degree radial for the approach. I think this type of approach requires too many vectors from ATC when they are busy. We are also required by the FAA to monitor company frequency 131.32 which is also used by other acrs and it has the potential of being busy which makes listening to your primary communications difficult. Communications in high congested, busy airports somehow need to be improved. The controller never told me to call on the telephone or how far the air carrier was. But again he sounded urgent although we had the air carrier Z in sight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV DURING RADAR MONITORING VECTORING.

Narrative: THE FO AND MYSELF WERE NE OF THE LGA VOR OVER LONG ISLAND SOUND WHEN WE STARTED TO RECEIVE RADAR VECTORS FROM NEW YORK APCH CTL FOR THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL 31 APCH. THE FO WAS FLYING SO I WAS HANDLING RADIO COMS. WE WERE TOLD BY ATC TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE LGA VOR AND AFTER PASSING THE VOR TO TAKE UP A HDG OF 270 DEG. ALL OF THIS IS AT 4000 FT MSL. AFTER PASSING THE LGA VOR WE TURNED 270 DEG. AFTER FLYING THIS HDG AND UPON REACHING THE HUDSON RIVER WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 220 DEGS BY ATC. NOW WHILE ALL OF THIS IS GOING ON, THERE IS AN LTT TURBO PAX, FLT Y, AT 2000 FT VFR RECEIVING THE SAME HDGS FROM THE SAME CTLR. IN FACT I COULD LOOK OUT MY L WINDOW AND SEE HIM DIRECTLY BELOW US, SLIGHTLY OFF TO MY L. WHEN THE LTT Y AND OURSELVES WERE JUST SW OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, ATC GAVE A HDG OF 120 DEGS TO THE LTT Y. I COULD STILL SEE THE LTT AND SAW HIM TURN. THE NEXT VECTORS WERE FOR US. I WAS PRETTY CERTAIN THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN 120 DEGS ALSO. AT LEAST THAT IS THE HDG I READ BACK. OFF TO OUR R WE NOTICED AN ACFT Z WITH ITS LNDG LIGHTS ON INBOUND FOR THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL 31 APCH. NOW AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM BUT I WAS GETTING THE FEELING THAT THIS WASN'T GOING TO WORK. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY SO BEFORE I COULD CALL HIM HE TOLD US TO TURN R TO 220 DEGS AND DSND TO 3000 FT 'IMMEDIATELY'. WE DID WHAT HE REQUESTED AND ALTHOUGH I WOULD NOT CLASSIFY THIS AS A NEAR MISS, I THINK IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE. WE ALWAYS HAD THE ACR LGT Z IN SIGHT. HE WAS INBOUND ON THE LGA VOR 225 DEG RADIAL FOR THE APCH. I THINK THIS TYPE OF APCH REQUIRES TOO MANY VECTORS FROM ATC WHEN THEY ARE BUSY. WE ARE ALSO REQUIRED BY THE FAA TO MONITOR COMPANY FREQ 131.32 WHICH IS ALSO USED BY OTHER ACRS AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING BUSY WHICH MAKES LISTENING TO YOUR PRIMARY COMS DIFFICULT. COMS IN HIGH CONGESTED, BUSY ARPTS SOMEHOW NEED TO BE IMPROVED. THE CTLR NEVER TOLD ME TO CALL ON THE TELEPHONE OR HOW FAR THE ACR WAS. BUT AGAIN HE SOUNDED URGENT ALTHOUGH WE HAD THE ACR Z IN SIGHT.

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.