Narrative:

A scheduled air carrier B727 flight was inbound to richmond (ric) from atlanta (atl) with the first officer flying. The flight was issued a visual approach clearance from approach control to runway 20, even though flight crew had requested a visual approach to runway 16. Approach control said there was 'traffic, a cessna at your 10 O'clock position, that has you in sight, should be no factor.' captain reaffirmed the request for a visual runway 16 and was cleared for that. Flight then handed off to ric tower and tower cleared flight, again, to land on runway 20. Captain idented the traffic on TCASII, captain reconfirmed request for runway 16 and was issued a landing clearance on runway 16. On right downwind leg to runway 16, the so, then the captain, sighted the cessna visually at our 11:30 O'clock position, at about 2900 ft (900 ft above our altitude of 2000 ft) and 4.5 mi. Our flight continued downwind, with cessna in sight to within 2.5 mi horizontally of the cessna, then turned base leg while descending. Our flight was then cleared to land on runway 16. Flight landed normally. While deplaning, a nervous passenger asked the captain 'was it you that took the evasive maneuver.' captain stated 'there was no evasive maneuver, only the execution of a normal traffic pattern in a turbojet aircraft.' apparently the passenger felt the cessna was too close to our flight. He did not know the pertinent facts such as both aircraft had each other in sight nor the vertical and horizontal separation between the aircraft. Safety comment: approach control was not paying clsoe attention to our flight's request for runway 16, and further, must not have advised tower control of our visual clearance to runway 16 (when he finally did issue that clearance). This necessitated 2 additional unnecessary and distracting requests, and subsequent clearance issuances for what was the 'most favorable runway.' avoidance of unnecessary distractions allow more opportunity for the flight crew to scan for visual traffic and correlate the traffic with TCASII targets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRLINE B727 FLC HAD A PROB WITH A RWY ASSIGNMENT AND INTRAFAC COM AND, IN THE OPINION OF A PAX, THE PROX OF A CESSNA C150.

Narrative: A SCHEDULED ACR B727 FLT WAS INBOUND TO RICHMOND (RIC) FROM ATLANTA (ATL) WITH THE FO FLYING. THE FLT WAS ISSUED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC FROM APCH CTL TO RWY 20, EVEN THOUGH FLC HAD REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16. APCH CTL SAID THERE WAS 'TFC, A CESSNA AT YOUR 10 O'CLOCK POS, THAT HAS YOU IN SIGHT, SHOULD BE NO FACTOR.' CAPT REAFFIRMED THE REQUEST FOR A VISUAL RWY 16 AND WAS CLRED FOR THAT. FLT THEN HANDED OFF TO RIC TWR AND TWR CLRED FLT, AGAIN, TO LAND ON RWY 20. CAPT IDENTED THE TFC ON TCASII, CAPT RECONFIRMED REQUEST FOR RWY 16 AND WAS ISSUED A LNDG CLRNC ON RWY 16. ON R DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 16, THE SO, THEN THE CAPT, SIGHTED THE CESSNA VISUALLY AT OUR 11:30 O'CLOCK POS, AT ABOUT 2900 FT (900 FT ABOVE OUR ALT OF 2000 FT) AND 4.5 MI. OUR FLT CONTINUED DOWNWIND, WITH CESSNA IN SIGHT TO WITHIN 2.5 MI HORIZLY OF THE CESSNA, THEN TURNED BASE LEG WHILE DSNDING. OUR FLT WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 16. FLT LANDED NORMALLY. WHILE DEPLANING, A NERVOUS PAX ASKED THE CAPT 'WAS IT YOU THAT TOOK THE EVASIVE MANEUVER.' CAPT STATED 'THERE WAS NO EVASIVE MANEUVER, ONLY THE EXECUTION OF A NORMAL TFC PATTERN IN A TURBOJET ACFT.' APPARENTLY THE PAX FELT THE CESSNA WAS TOO CLOSE TO OUR FLT. HE DID NOT KNOW THE PERTINENT FACTS SUCH AS BOTH ACFT HAD EACH OTHER IN SIGHT NOR THE VERT AND HORIZ SEPARATION BTWN THE ACFT. SAFETY COMMENT: APCH CTL WAS NOT PAYING CLSOE ATTN TO OUR FLT'S REQUEST FOR RWY 16, AND FURTHER, MUST NOT HAVE ADVISED TWR CTL OF OUR VISUAL CLRNC TO RWY 16 (WHEN HE FINALLY DID ISSUE THAT CLRNC). THIS NECESSITATED 2 ADDITIONAL UNNECESSARY AND DISTRACTING REQUESTS, AND SUBSEQUENT CLRNC ISSUANCES FOR WHAT WAS THE 'MOST FAVORABLE RWY.' AVOIDANCE OF UNNECESSARY DISTRACTIONS ALLOW MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLC TO SCAN FOR VISUAL TFC AND CORRELATE THE TFC WITH TCASII TARGETS.

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.