Narrative:

Coming into dal we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 31L. We had a cessna in sight at approximately 2000 ft and were told to maintain visual separation. I could not see the cessna from my seat but the captain could and said that I was clear of traffic. I could see the traffic on our TCASII display and was concerned that it would be a conflict, but the captain maintained that he had the traffic in sight and that he [the traffic] was no factor. I felt uncomfortable with the situation and thought that possibly the captain was looking at another aircraft. The aircraft was clearly going to be in our flight path from what I could see on TCASII display (3 mi scale). I leveled off about 300 ft above conflicting traffic and then we received a 'climb' advisory. I immediately climbed per the RA because, at that point, I didn't know if the captain had the traffic in sight or not. The RA was over in less than 5 seconds, at which time the captain looked at me and said 'he turned right into us.' I was never able to see the traffic, therefore, I am only able to base separation on what I saw on TCASII display. The next aircraft received a more thorough description of cessna's flight path (downtown tour). We did not know this. I will use more caution when exercising visual approachs at night after we have called traffic in sight. Approach could have been more helpful and cessna should not be doing tours of downtown while flying through an arrival path for love field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ARRIVING B737 HAS A CLOSE CALL WITH A 'DOWNTOWN TOUR' CESSNA WHILE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO LOVE FIELD, DAL, TX.

Narrative: COMING INTO DAL WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 31L. WE HAD A CESSNA IN SIGHT AT APPROX 2000 FT AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. I COULD NOT SEE THE CESSNA FROM MY SEAT BUT THE CAPT COULD AND SAID THAT I WAS CLR OF TFC. I COULD SEE THE TFC ON OUR TCASII DISPLAY AND WAS CONCERNED THAT IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT, BUT THE CAPT MAINTAINED THAT HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND THAT HE [THE TFC] WAS NO FACTOR. I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT AND THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLY THE CAPT WAS LOOKING AT ANOTHER ACFT. THE ACFT WAS CLRLY GOING TO BE IN OUR FLT PATH FROM WHAT I COULD SEE ON TCASII DISPLAY (3 MI SCALE). I LEVELED OFF ABOUT 300 FT ABOVE CONFLICTING TFC AND THEN WE RECEIVED A 'CLB' ADVISORY. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED PER THE RA BECAUSE, AT THAT POINT, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE CAPT HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT OR NOT. THE RA WAS OVER IN LESS THAN 5 SECONDS, AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT LOOKED AT ME AND SAID 'HE TURNED RIGHT INTO US.' I WAS NEVER ABLE TO SEE THE TFC, THEREFORE, I AM ONLY ABLE TO BASE SEPARATION ON WHAT I SAW ON TCASII DISPLAY. THE NEXT ACFT RECEIVED A MORE THOROUGH DESCRIPTION OF CESSNA'S FLT PATH (DOWNTOWN TOUR). WE DID NOT KNOW THIS. I WILL USE MORE CAUTION WHEN EXERCISING VISUAL APCHS AT NIGHT AFTER WE HAVE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. APCH COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL AND CESSNA SHOULD NOT BE DOING TOURS OF DOWNTOWN WHILE FLYING THROUGH AN ARR PATH FOR LOVE FIELD.

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.