Narrative:

I was doing traffic watch at or below 2200 MSL. Headed northbound. Departure controller told me of air carrier traffic south of my position which I called in sight. The controller also pointed me out to the air carrier and he called me in sight, after which the controller gave him visual approach clearance and told him to maintain visual separation with my aircraft, which he accepted. At this point, I lost sight of the air carrier jet as he went through my 5-6 O'clock position. Approach controller then pointed out additional small aircraft traffic to the air carrier at about his 1 O'clock position. Air carrier called the traffic in sight and said he would maintain visual separation. At this point, we had finished our reports on the radio, so I radioed to approach that we were ready to turn inbound for landing. He acknowledged, saying I was #3 for the airport following an air carrier and another small aircraft at about my 2-3 O'clock position. I told him I would make a right turn to get the small aircraft in sight. Immediately after banking to the right, the air carrier jet came from right to left right in front of me on a left base for the airport (runway 22). I guess at the last min he (or his TCASII) saw me and he said, 'air carrier just had a near miss, 300 ft.' the controller told him that was the traffic he was supposed to be maintaining visual with. Air carrier said no, that he had the traffic (small aircraft) off to his right (I was to his left). The approach controller told him that was the other previously called traffic. Air carrier said he would file a report on the ground. I proceeded inbound and landed behind the air carrier and the small aircraft without event. I think the air carrier pilot thought there was only 1 other aircraft he was supposed to be looking for, or forgot about my aircraft entirely. In future, I will make certain to constantly keep all traffic in visual contact. I relied on the air carrier pilot to maintain separation and also on the controller to say something if we were getting too close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAD AN NMAC WITH AN SMA WHILE LOOKING AT ANOTHER SMA.

Narrative: I WAS DOING TFC WATCH AT OR BELOW 2200 MSL. HEADED NBOUND. DEP CTLR TOLD ME OF ACR TFC S OF MY POS WHICH I CALLED IN SIGHT. THE CTLR ALSO POINTED ME OUT TO THE ACR AND HE CALLED ME IN SIGHT, AFTER WHICH THE CTLR GAVE HIM VISUAL APCH CLRNC AND TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH MY ACFT, WHICH HE ACCEPTED. AT THIS POINT, I LOST SIGHT OF THE ACR JET AS HE WENT THROUGH MY 5-6 O'CLOCK POS. APCH CTLR THEN POINTED OUT ADDITIONAL SMA TFC TO THE ACR AT ABOUT HIS 1 O'CLOCK POS. ACR CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND SAID HE WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. AT THIS POINT, WE HAD FINISHED OUR RPTS ON THE RADIO, SO I RADIOED TO APCH THAT WE WERE READY TO TURN INBOUND FOR LNDG. HE ACKNOWLEDGED, SAYING I WAS #3 FOR THE ARPT FOLLOWING AN ACR AND ANOTHER SMA AT ABOUT MY 2-3 O'CLOCK POS. I TOLD HIM I WOULD MAKE A R TURN TO GET THE SMA IN SIGHT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER BANKING TO THE R, THE ACR JET CAME FROM R TO L RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME ON A L BASE FOR THE ARPT (RWY 22). I GUESS AT THE LAST MIN HE (OR HIS TCASII) SAW ME AND HE SAID, 'ACR JUST HAD A NEAR MISS, 300 FT.' THE CTLR TOLD HIM THAT WAS THE TFC HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING VISUAL WITH. ACR SAID NO, THAT HE HAD THE TFC (SMA) OFF TO HIS R (I WAS TO HIS L). THE APCH CTLR TOLD HIM THAT WAS THE OTHER PREVIOUSLY CALLED TFC. ACR SAID HE WOULD FILE A RPT ON THE GND. I PROCEEDED INBOUND AND LANDED BEHIND THE ACR AND THE SMA WITHOUT EVENT. I THINK THE ACR PLT THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY 1 OTHER ACFT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR, OR FORGOT ABOUT MY ACFT ENTIRELY. IN FUTURE, I WILL MAKE CERTAIN TO CONSTANTLY KEEP ALL TFC IN VISUAL CONTACT. I RELIED ON THE ACR PLT TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION AND ALSO ON THE CTLR TO SAY SOMETHING IF WE WERE GETTING TOO CLOSE.

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.