Flight crew of B737-300 has conflict with an small aircraft when under abq control. TCASII RA alerts...

Attributes
ACN	409172
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abq
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	409172
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
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 : 300 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On the FRIH03 arrival we were cleared to descend to I believe 8000 ft. ATC vectoring us, and a fair amount of traffic (same VFR) near the north end of albuquerque. I caught sight of one target on TCASII at 11 O'clock position and about 3 mi, that looked like a potential conflict. We were cleared down through his altitude, and appeared to be converging. I watched him for a couple of seconds, and then told my first officer to level off until we passed that target. I had my TCASII in below/relative, so I can't say what his MSL altitude was for sure. We started to level off, and almost simultaneously got a TA from abq approach and a TCASII 'traffic, climb, climb' RA. My first officer was following the RA, and called approach to tell them we were climbing to follow the TCASII RA. Approach apologized for the late traffic call (he was quite busy at the time). The traffic appeared to be VFR. Approach said the traffic appeared to start climbing unexpectedly. Our closest relative altitude was about 300 ft at about 1 mi, and 700 ft vertical as we crossed almost directly over him. Without TCASII RA, I estimate we would have come within 200 ft vertically and about 100 yards off his nose. I acquired the traffic visually at about 1/2 mi, even though I knew where to look from the TCASII display. While I think we would have missed, it would have been very close. Thank you, TCASII.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B737-300 HAS CONFLICT WITH AN SMA WHEN UNDER ABQ CTL. TCASII RA ALERTS THE FLC JUST AS ATC GIVES TA.

Narrative: ON THE FRIH03 ARR WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO I BELIEVE 8000 FT. ATC VECTORING US, AND A FAIR AMOUNT OF TFC (SAME VFR) NEAR THE N END OF ALBUQUERQUE. I CAUGHT SIGHT OF ONE TARGET ON TCASII AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 3 MI, THAT LOOKED LIKE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. WE WERE CLRED DOWN THROUGH HIS ALT, AND APPEARED TO BE CONVERGING. I WATCHED HIM FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, AND THEN TOLD MY FO TO LEVEL OFF UNTIL WE PASSED THAT TARGET. I HAD MY TCASII IN BELOW/RELATIVE, SO I CAN'T SAY WHAT HIS MSL ALT WAS FOR SURE. WE STARTED TO LEVEL OFF, AND ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY GOT A TA FROM ABQ APCH AND A TCASII 'TFC, CLB, CLB' RA. MY FO WAS FOLLOWING THE RA, AND CALLED APCH TO TELL THEM WE WERE CLBING TO FOLLOW THE TCASII RA. APCH APOLOGIZED FOR THE LATE TFC CALL (HE WAS QUITE BUSY AT THE TIME). THE TFC APPEARED TO BE VFR. APCH SAID THE TFC APPEARED TO START CLBING UNEXPECTEDLY. OUR CLOSEST RELATIVE ALT WAS ABOUT 300 FT AT ABOUT 1 MI, AND 700 FT VERT AS WE CROSSED ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER HIM. WITHOUT TCASII RA, I ESTIMATE WE WOULD HAVE COME WITHIN 200 FT VERTLY AND ABOUT 100 YARDS OFF HIS NOSE. I ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY AT ABOUT 1/2 MI, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW WHERE TO LOOK FROM THE TCASII DISPLAY. WHILE I THINK WE WOULD HAVE MISSED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE. THANK YOU, TCASII.

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.

Flight crew of B737-300 has conflict with an small aircraft when under abq control. TCASII RA alerts the flight crew just as ATC gives TA.