Narrative:

Air carrier X was unable to find traffic and so stated to approach control. A short time later I asked if our traffic was 1 O'clock? Target was confirmed, we were instructed to follow for visual to runway 4R. A short time later I lost the traffic in the lights of new york and advised approach control of this. X was instructed to proceed on our base leg for a 3 mi final to 4R, traffic was no factor. Approximately 15 NM out on base leg, my attention was attracted out my left window, by a flash of light. I identified another aircraft at my 8:30 position approximately 200 ft lower, 1/4 mi away in a left bank and leveling its wings, his flight path now parallel to us. We were instructed to contact ewr tower, cleared for the visual 4R. Out of the corner of my eye to the left I saw an F-27 at our altitude, crossing our flight path, at approximately a 45 degree angle, left to right, estimated 1000 ft in front of us. With our descent rate when the F-27 was at our 12 O'clock position we estimated him to be 200 ft above us and less than 1000 ft horizontal distance. We all commented that was too close. It was close enough I could read the name on the side of the aircraft in our lights. The F-27 continued on to a point approximately 1/2 mi and started a left turn back towards us. This time he passed slightly behind and above us. I caught sight of him at our 7 O'clock position where he commenced a right turn back toward us passing again slightly behind and above us. (Appeared to be south turning to gain spacing). At this point we lost visual contact. We turned final and contacted tower. We were cleared to land runway 4R. At approximately 2 mi on final we were reclred to land runway 4L, we side stepped and landed with no further incident. As we exited the runway 4L, the F-27 was rolling out on runway 4R. When I arrived at our hotel I immediately called the ewr tower and spoke to one of the tower operators. I idented myself as the captain and wanted to know what his impressions were of the incident. He informed me that when ny approach control did the handoff to him they said, you have Y is following X but was not sure what he was doing. The tower controller told me they had us but were unable to pick up Y for a while. I thanked him for the information and stated it sounded like approach control had handed him a can of worms.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS VISUAL APCH'S ACR X HAD LTSS FROM F27 SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X WAS UNABLE TO FIND TFC AND SO STATED TO APCH CTL. A SHORT TIME LATER I ASKED IF OUR TFC WAS 1 O'CLOCK? TARGET WAS CONFIRMED, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW FOR VISUAL TO RWY 4R. A SHORT TIME LATER I LOST THE TFC IN THE LIGHTS OF NEW YORK AND ADVISED APCH CTL OF THIS. X WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED ON OUR BASE LEG FOR A 3 MI FINAL TO 4R, TFC WAS NO FACTOR. APPROX 15 NM OUT ON BASE LEG, MY ATTN WAS ATTRACTED OUT MY L WINDOW, BY A FLASH OF LIGHT. I IDENTIFIED ANOTHER ACFT AT MY 8:30 POS APPROX 200 FT LOWER, 1/4 MI AWAY IN A L BANK AND LEVELING ITS WINGS, HIS FLT PATH NOW PARALLEL TO US. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT EWR TWR, CLRED FOR THE VISUAL 4R. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE TO THE L I SAW AN F-27 AT OUR ALT, XING OUR FLT PATH, AT APPROX A 45 DEG ANGLE, L TO R, ESTIMATED 1000 FT IN FRONT OF US. WITH OUR DSCNT RATE WHEN THE F-27 WAS AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS WE ESTIMATED HIM TO BE 200 FT ABOVE US AND LESS THAN 1000 FT HORIZ DISTANCE. WE ALL COMMENTED THAT WAS TOO CLOSE. IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH I COULD READ THE NAME ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT IN OUR LIGHTS. THE F-27 CONTINUED ON TO A POINT APPROX 1/2 MI AND STARTED A L TURN BACK TOWARDS US. THIS TIME HE PASSED SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND ABOVE US. I CAUGHT SIGHT OF HIM AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK POS WHERE HE COMMENCED A R TURN BACK TOWARD US PASSING AGAIN SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND ABOVE US. (APPEARED TO BE S TURNING TO GAIN SPACING). AT THIS POINT WE LOST VISUAL CONTACT. WE TURNED FINAL AND CONTACTED TWR. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 4R. AT APPROX 2 MI ON FINAL WE WERE RECLRED TO LAND RWY 4L, WE SIDE STEPPED AND LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AS WE EXITED THE RWY 4L, THE F-27 WAS ROLLING OUT ON RWY 4R. WHEN I ARRIVED AT OUR HOTEL I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE EWR TWR AND SPOKE TO ONE OF THE TWR OPERATORS. I IDENTED MYSELF AS THE CAPT AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HIS IMPRESSIONS WERE OF THE INCIDENT. HE INFORMED ME THAT WHEN NY APCH CTL DID THE HDOF TO HIM THEY SAID, YOU HAVE Y IS FOLLOWING X BUT WAS NOT SURE WHAT HE WAS DOING. THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME THEY HAD US BUT WERE UNABLE TO PICK UP Y FOR A WHILE. I THANKED HIM FOR THE INFO AND STATED IT SOUNDED LIKE APCH CTL HAD HANDED HIM A CAN OF WORMS.

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.