Near midair collision between air carrier a and uga B.

Attributes
ACN	277300
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pvd
State Reference	RI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pvd
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 121 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1185
ASRS Report	277300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	277909
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were approaching avd using runway 5. At approximately 2-3 mi out our TCASII warned of traffic off our right front. We continued to monitor the approach and look for traffic. A few seconds later the first officer said he had the traffic in sight. At about the same time our TCASII system gave us a climb RA. I initiated a missed approach while the first officer monitored the traffic. He said that he thought the light aircraft had seen us because he initiated a sharp right descending turn. After later talking with the tower personnel on the phone I found out that VFR approachs were being conducted to runway 16 with 3 light aircraft in the pattern. This type of traffic confign causes an overlap in traffic patterns between runway 05 straight in approachs and right VFR patterns to runway 16. I believe the poor visibility contributed to this incident. Also there is a possibility that the light aircraft was flying a wide downwind or that he was not under tower control and had strayed into the airport traffic area. The tower personnel were not aware of the conflict and asked what the reason for our missed approach was. The intruding aircraft was a high wing cessna type aircraft. To avoid this type conflict in the future I think that crossing traffic patterns should not be allowed especially visibility less than 3-4 mi. It is too hard to see small light aircraft with poor visibility at the speeds that air carrier aircraft fly. If crossing patterns must be utilized then there should be wider spacing between traffic so that TCASII will not sense a conflict. Supplemental information from acn 277909: MD88 was on approach in the landing confign. Just after 1000 ft AGL TCASII alerted to 'traffic' off our right front. I picked up a light aircraft within 5 seconds at our altitude beginning a turn toward our aircraft. TCASII called an RA to 'climb' and captain started a missed approach. I believe the light aircraft saw us because he was in a steep nose down angle of bank when he passed below us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN ACR A AND UGA B.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING AVD USING RWY 5. AT APPROX 2-3 MI OUT OUR TCASII WARNED OF TFC OFF OUR R FRONT. WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE APCH AND LOOK FOR TFC. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE FO SAID HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME OUR TCASII SYS GAVE US A CLB RA. I INITIATED A MISSED APCH WHILE THE FO MONITORED THE TFC. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE LIGHT ACFT HAD SEEN US BECAUSE HE INITIATED A SHARP R DSNDING TURN. AFTER LATER TALKING WITH THE TWR PERSONNEL ON THE PHONE I FOUND OUT THAT VFR APCHS WERE BEING CONDUCTED TO RWY 16 WITH 3 LIGHT ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THIS TYPE OF TFC CONFIGN CAUSES AN OVERLAP IN TFC PATTERNS BTWN RWY 05 STRAIGHT IN APCHS AND R VFR PATTERNS TO RWY 16. I BELIEVE THE POOR VISIBILITY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. ALSO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LIGHT ACFT WAS FLYING A WIDE DOWNWIND OR THAT HE WAS NOT UNDER TWR CTL AND HAD STRAYED INTO THE ARPT TFC AREA. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CONFLICT AND ASKED WHAT THE REASON FOR OUR MISSED APCH WAS. THE INTRUDING ACFT WAS A HIGH WING CESSNA TYPE ACFT. TO AVOID THIS TYPE CONFLICT IN THE FUTURE I THINK THAT XING TFC PATTERNS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ESPECIALLY VISIBILITY LESS THAN 3-4 MI. IT IS TOO HARD TO SEE SMALL LIGHT ACFT WITH POOR VISIBILITY AT THE SPDS THAT ACR ACFT FLY. IF XING PATTERNS MUST BE UTILIZED THEN THERE SHOULD BE WIDER SPACING BTWN TFC SO THAT TCASII WILL NOT SENSE A CONFLICT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277909: MD88 WAS ON APCH IN THE LNDG CONFIGN. JUST AFTER 1000 FT AGL TCASII ALERTED TO 'TFC' OFF OUR R FRONT. I PICKED UP A LIGHT ACFT WITHIN 5 SECONDS AT OUR ALT BEGINNING A TURN TOWARD OUR ACFT. TCASII CALLED AN RA TO 'CLB' AND CAPT STARTED A MISSED APCH. I BELIEVE THE LIGHT ACFT SAW US BECAUSE HE WAS IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ANGLE OF BANK WHEN HE PASSED BELOW US.

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.