Narrative:

On first contact with las approach control, I was told we would be landing on runway 19L. Abeam the airport, heading 080 degrees, I was switched to another controller who turned me downwind. We were at 6000 ft. Overhead the field I was handed off to a third controller, who cleared us to 5000 ft. Approximately 3 NM beyond the approach end of runway 19L, traffic our sequence was pointed out to me as a B737 on a '3 mi final, could we make it from there?' I called the traffic and said we could. The next radio call I heard was either garbled or stepped on. At this point, a continuous conversation began between the controller and a cessna. I attempted to break in several times to ask if we were cleared the visual, as at this point in time, I had not received, nor acknowledged a clearance for a visual approach. This went on for about 1 min. Even though TCASII had showed no traffic, or TA's, we received an 'instantaneous' RA 'climb, climb' with a 2500 FPM climb commanded by TCASII. At this point we were at around 5500 ft. I took control and answered the RA with an aggressive climb. I saw a cessna passing directly under us, heading for the airport. He apparently had not seen us. Approach finally called us and said, 'if we had turned to a 240 heading as he had told us to do,' there would not have been a conflict. I told him in words to the effect that I had not received the call nor acknowledged it. Problems: 1) too many frequency changes in close. It did not allow a pilot to build situational awareness as to what the 'big picture' was. 2) approach trying to work air carrier traffic into what is normally a GA pattern. The runways 25 were active and the wind favored either one. 3) approach never called the cessna traffic to us, yet he descended us into him, with minimal lateral separation, on opposing headings and the same assigned altitudes. 4) approach not listening for clearance acknowledgements, nor leaving any open frequency time for calls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L MISSED A TURN CLRNC AND HAD AN NMAC WITH A CESSNA. TCASII ALERTED THE ACR FLC AND THEY REACTED TO THE RA.

Narrative: ON FIRST CONTACT WITH LAS APCH CTL, I WAS TOLD WE WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY 19L. ABEAM THE ARPT, HDG 080 DEGS, I WAS SWITCHED TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO TURNED ME DOWNWIND. WE WERE AT 6000 FT. OVERHEAD THE FIELD I WAS HANDED OFF TO A THIRD CTLR, WHO CLRED US TO 5000 FT. APPROX 3 NM BEYOND THE APCH END OF RWY 19L, TFC OUR SEQUENCE WAS POINTED OUT TO ME AS A B737 ON A '3 MI FINAL, COULD WE MAKE IT FROM THERE?' I CALLED THE TFC AND SAID WE COULD. THE NEXT RADIO CALL I HEARD WAS EITHER GARBLED OR STEPPED ON. AT THIS POINT, A CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION BEGAN BTWN THE CTLR AND A CESSNA. I ATTEMPTED TO BREAK IN SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK IF WE WERE CLRED THE VISUAL, AS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I HAD NOT RECEIVED, NOR ACKNOWLEDGED A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. EVEN THOUGH TCASII HAD SHOWED NO TFC, OR TA'S, WE RECEIVED AN 'INSTANTANEOUS' RA 'CLB, CLB' WITH A 2500 FPM CLB COMMANDED BY TCASII. AT THIS POINT WE WERE AT AROUND 5500 FT. I TOOK CTL AND ANSWERED THE RA WITH AN AGGRESSIVE CLB. I SAW A CESSNA PASSING DIRECTLY UNDER US, HDG FOR THE ARPT. HE APPARENTLY HAD NOT SEEN US. APCH FINALLY CALLED US AND SAID, 'IF WE HAD TURNED TO A 240 HDG AS HE HAD TOLD US TO DO,' THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT. I TOLD HIM IN WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED THE CALL NOR ACKNOWLEDGED IT. PROBS: 1) TOO MANY FREQ CHANGES IN CLOSE. IT DID NOT ALLOW A PLT TO BUILD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS TO WHAT THE 'BIG PICTURE' WAS. 2) APCH TRYING TO WORK ACR TFC INTO WHAT IS NORMALLY A GA PATTERN. THE RWYS 25 WERE ACTIVE AND THE WIND FAVORED EITHER ONE. 3) APCH NEVER CALLED THE CESSNA TFC TO US, YET HE DSNDED US INTO HIM, WITH MINIMAL LATERAL SEPARATION, ON OPPOSING HDGS AND THE SAME ASSIGNED ALTS. 4) APCH NOT LISTENING FOR CLRNC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, NOR LEAVING ANY OPEN FREQ TIME FOR CALLS.

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.