Narrative:

On jun/sat/98, at about XA30 I was piloting an MU2, VFR at 1500 ft over the city of new orleans, la. After departing new orleans lakefront airport, I proceeded south toward the river, following the river wbound and in contact with new orleans approach control. I then turned north toward lake pontchartrain. Before crossing the shoreline I requested a 180 degree turn to the south back around the city and then back to lakefront airport. I was then advised by the controller to maintain my heading because of traffic that was 12 O'clock position, landing runway 28, a B727 aircraft. I then scanned that area and observed a B727 traveling from right to left. I then advised the controller that I had a B727 in sight at about my 11 O'clock position. I was then told by the controller to maintain visual contact with the traffic. A few (15-30) seconds later, I stated that the B727 was passing by and requested the 180 degree turn again. The controller approved the turn and again reminded me to maintain visual contact with the traffic. I then turned left which allowed me to maintain visual contact with the B727 which I had been instructed to maintain visual contact with. This placed the B727 on my right side. I watched the aircraft out of my right side pilot's window until it left my field of vision. After I was no longer able to see the B727 which was descending to msy, I felt that the aircraft was no longer a factor. I then began a normal scan and observed a B727 at my 9 O'clock position climbing. I then heard the pilot of the B727 report a TCASII alert had caused him to go missed approach. The controller then told the B727 pilot that the MU2 had reported him, the B727, in sight. Upon landing I telephoned new orleans approach and spoke with a supervisor. I then learned that there were 2 B727's, at 12 O'clock position, but that I had been advised about only one. The supervisor advised me that I should have been watching the B727 aircraft that was pointed out to me and since his approach did not look normal (I was told that the first B727 was going to runway 19, by the supervisor on the phone), I should have questioned the controller. Supplemental information from acn 404259: we had just been vectored onto the ILS for runway 28 at msy, and were descending on the localizer and on GS. At 1800 ft MSL, we got a TA warning in front of us and slightly below which quickly turned to a red RA with 'climb, climb' instructions. I'm assuming that the unknown aircraft was joining up on the same runway that we were cleared for an approach to. The controller seemed a little confused when we explained our evasive actions. He said it must have been the same 'mitsubishi' aircraft that had passed off our right side on a north heading while we were still 15 mi out on a modified base leg for runway 28 heading almost due south. Apparently, after talking to the tower supervisor on the phone, we found out that the same mitsubishi aircraft had made an immediate 180 degree turn back for the airfield after we passed him and he was told to look for a B727 on final approach. He apparently saw another air carrier's B727 on approach for runway 19 and never saw us. We were never told to look for any traffic on our approach. We had absolutely no idea that we were sharing almost the same airspace until we received the TCASII warning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MU2 FLC HAS AN NMAC WITH A B727 FLT ON APCH TO RWY 28 AT MSY. THE MU2 CREW HAD BEEN GIVEN THAT TFC FOR RWY 28 BUT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT AND REGARDED AS TFC THE B727 ON APCH TO RWY 19 AT MSY.

Narrative: ON JUN/SAT/98, AT ABOUT XA30 I WAS PILOTING AN MU2, VFR AT 1500 FT OVER THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, LA. AFTER DEPARTING NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT ARPT, I PROCEEDED S TOWARD THE RIVER, FOLLOWING THE RIVER WBOUND AND IN CONTACT WITH NEW ORLEANS APCH CTL. I THEN TURNED N TOWARD LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. BEFORE XING THE SHORELINE I REQUESTED A 180 DEG TURN TO THE S BACK AROUND THE CITY AND THEN BACK TO LAKEFRONT ARPT. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE CTLR TO MAINTAIN MY HEADING BECAUSE OF TFC THAT WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS, LNDG RWY 28, A B727 ACFT. I THEN SCANNED THAT AREA AND OBSERVED A B727 TRAVELING FROM R TO L. I THEN ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I HAD A B727 IN SIGHT AT ABOUT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS THEN TOLD BY THE CTLR TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC. A FEW (15-30) SECONDS LATER, I STATED THAT THE B727 WAS PASSING BY AND REQUESTED THE 180 DEG TURN AGAIN. THE CTLR APPROVED THE TURN AND AGAIN REMINDED ME TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC. I THEN TURNED L WHICH ALLOWED ME TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE B727 WHICH I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH. THIS PLACED THE B727 ON MY R SIDE. I WATCHED THE ACFT OUT OF MY R SIDE PLT'S WINDOW UNTIL IT LEFT MY FIELD OF VISION. AFTER I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO SEE THE B727 WHICH WAS DSNDING TO MSY, I FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. I THEN BEGAN A NORMAL SCAN AND OBSERVED A B727 AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS CLBING. I THEN HEARD THE PLT OF THE B727 RPT A TCASII ALERT HAD CAUSED HIM TO GO MISSED APCH. THE CTLR THEN TOLD THE B727 PLT THAT THE MU2 HAD RPTED HIM, THE B727, IN SIGHT. UPON LNDG I TELEPHONED NEW ORLEANS APCH AND SPOKE WITH A SUPVR. I THEN LEARNED THAT THERE WERE 2 B727'S, AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, BUT THAT I HAD BEEN ADVISED ABOUT ONLY ONE. THE SUPVR ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE B727 ACFT THAT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME AND SINCE HIS APCH DID NOT LOOK NORMAL (I WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST B727 WAS GOING TO RWY 19, BY THE SUPVR ON THE PHONE), I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CTLR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 404259: WE HAD JUST BEEN VECTORED ONTO THE ILS FOR RWY 28 AT MSY, AND WERE DSNDING ON THE LOC AND ON GS. AT 1800 FT MSL, WE GOT A TA WARNING IN FRONT OF US AND SLIGHTLY BELOW WHICH QUICKLY TURNED TO A RED RA WITH 'CLB, CLB' INSTRUCTIONS. I'M ASSUMING THAT THE UNKNOWN ACFT WAS JOINING UP ON THE SAME RWY THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR AN APCH TO. THE CTLR SEEMED A LITTLE CONFUSED WHEN WE EXPLAINED OUR EVASIVE ACTIONS. HE SAID IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE SAME 'MITSUBISHI' ACFT THAT HAD PASSED OFF OUR R SIDE ON A N HEADING WHILE WE WERE STILL 15 MI OUT ON A MODIFIED BASE LEG FOR RWY 28 HEADING ALMOST DUE S. APPARENTLY, AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR ON THE PHONE, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME MITSUBISHI ACFT HAD MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN BACK FOR THE AIRFIELD AFTER WE PASSED HIM AND HE WAS TOLD TO LOOK FOR A B727 ON FINAL APCH. HE APPARENTLY SAW ANOTHER ACR'S B727 ON APCH FOR RWY 19 AND NEVER SAW US. WE WERE NEVER TOLD TO LOOK FOR ANY TFC ON OUR APCH. WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA THAT WE WERE SHARING ALMOST THE SAME AIRSPACE UNTIL WE RECEIVED THE TCASII WARNING.

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.