Narrative:

Entered a visual downwind for runway 8 at abq, first officer flying. Upon initiating our turn to base, I contacted tower and was cleared to land. I then spotted a target on our TCASII about 1200 ft below, about 2 mi, about 2 O'clock. Tower called the traffic and told us that he had us in sight. I told tower that we did not see him, but had him on TCASII. Still in a descending right turn, the TCASII showed us closing in on traffic. At about 1800 ft AGL, the first officer made visual contact with the traffic and called it to me. I saw him in a right bank about 500 ft below and to the right. The first officer immediately leveled off and initiated a left turn, rolling out wbound. I notified tower of our maneuver and asked about other aircraft's intentions. We returned to airport and landed. I called the tower from the terminal and spoke to the person working the tower during the incident. He informed me that the other aircraft took off runway 21 and was told to make a tight right turn to rollout on a heading of 310 degrees. My personal view of this occurrence is that this is a classic example of communication breakdown. 1) the small twin aircraft made a wider turn than expected by tower. 2) as far as I know, the tower never suggested a tighter turn to him. 3) aircraft obviously lost visual contact with us without notifying tower. 4) tower took no action to keep us separated even though he saw the 2 aircraft closing. 5) below 2000 ft AGL, our policy is to turn TCASII from TA/RA to TA only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG AND SMT HAVE AN NMAC IN THE ABQ ATA.

Narrative: ENTERED A VISUAL DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AT ABQ, FO FLYING. UPON INITIATING OUR TURN TO BASE, I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I THEN SPOTTED A TARGET ON OUR TCASII ABOUT 1200 FT BELOW, ABOUT 2 MI, ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK. TWR CALLED THE TFC AND TOLD US THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT. I TOLD TWR THAT WE DID NOT SEE HIM, BUT HAD HIM ON TCASII. STILL IN A DSNDING R TURN, THE TCASII SHOWED US CLOSING IN ON TFC. AT ABOUT 1800 FT AGL, THE FO MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC AND CALLED IT TO ME. I SAW HIM IN A R BANK ABOUT 500 FT BELOW AND TO THE R. THE FO IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AND INITIATED A L TURN, ROLLING OUT WBOUND. I NOTIFIED TWR OF OUR MANEUVER AND ASKED ABOUT OTHER ACFT'S INTENTIONS. WE RETURNED TO ARPT AND LANDED. I CALLED THE TWR FROM THE TERMINAL AND SPOKE TO THE PERSON WORKING THE TWR DURING THE INCIDENT. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE OTHER ACFT TOOK OFF RWY 21 AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A TIGHT R TURN TO ROLLOUT ON A HDG OF 310 DEGS. MY PERSONAL VIEW OF THIS OCCURRENCE IS THAT THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF COM BREAKDOWN. 1) THE SMALL TWIN ACFT MADE A WIDER TURN THAN EXPECTED BY TWR. 2) AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE TWR NEVER SUGGESTED A TIGHTER TURN TO HIM. 3) ACFT OBVIOUSLY LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH US WITHOUT NOTIFYING TWR. 4) TWR TOOK NO ACTION TO KEEP US SEPARATED EVEN THOUGH HE SAW THE 2 ACFT CLOSING. 5) BELOW 2000 FT AGL, OUR POLICY IS TO TURN TCASII FROM TA/RA TO TA ONLY.

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.