Narrative:

We were cleared for the civet 4 profile descent into lax. As we approached civet from resor, center advised us of a VFR aircraft climbing out of 16000 ft at our 12 O'clock. I advised center that we would maintain our current altitude of 17500 until we were clear. At civet, the aircraft turned to intercept the 249 degree inbound course of the profile. Center advised us to maintain 17000 ft, instead of 17500 ft, to avoid the VFR traffic. We descended to 17000 ft and observed several targets on TCASII radar screen. One was 'yellow 00' indicating he was at our altitude approaching head-on. We saw 2 aircraft -- one coming directly at us, the other was diverging away from us from left to right (heading northwest). We had a descend RA. The copilot started a descending 2000 FPM left turn. The vsi indicated nose down to 2000 ft, red band above. The aircraft passed off our right by several hundred ft and above us. If we had not turned we would have been closer. A few seconds later we received an RA directing us to climb. The copilot maintained level flight because a climb would put us into the other aircraft which was now at 12 O'clock and about 1 mi ahead. Slower moving TCASII stopped. ZLA asked our altitude and gave a frequency change to socal approach. Nothing more was said.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBORNE CONFLICT INDICATED BY TCASII ON DSCNT INTO LAX.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE CIVET 4 PROFILE DSCNT INTO LAX. AS WE APCHED CIVET FROM RESOR, CTR ADVISED US OF A VFR ACFT CLBING OUT OF 16000 FT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK. I ADVISED CTR THAT WE WOULD MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT ALT OF 17500 UNTIL WE WERE CLR. AT CIVET, THE ACFT TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE 249 DEG INBOUND COURSE OF THE PROFILE. CTR ADVISED US TO MAINTAIN 17000 FT, INSTEAD OF 17500 FT, TO AVOID THE VFR TFC. WE DSNDED TO 17000 FT AND OBSERVED SEVERAL TARGETS ON TCASII RADAR SCREEN. ONE WAS 'YELLOW 00' INDICATING HE WAS AT OUR ALT APCHING HEAD-ON. WE SAW 2 ACFT -- ONE COMING DIRECTLY AT US, THE OTHER WAS DIVERGING AWAY FROM US FROM L TO R (HDG NW). WE HAD A DSND RA. THE COPLT STARTED A DSNDING 2000 FPM L TURN. THE VSI INDICATED NOSE DOWN TO 2000 FT, RED BAND ABOVE. THE ACFT PASSED OFF OUR R BY SEVERAL HUNDRED FT AND ABOVE US. IF WE HAD NOT TURNED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSER. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE RECEIVED AN RA DIRECTING US TO CLB. THE COPLT MAINTAINED LEVEL FLT BECAUSE A CLB WOULD PUT US INTO THE OTHER ACFT WHICH WAS NOW AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 1 MI AHEAD. SLOWER MOVING TCASII STOPPED. ZLA ASKED OUR ALT AND GAVE A FREQ CHANGE TO SOCAL APCH. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID.

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.