Narrative:

While descending from 10000 ft to 5000 ft on the downwind to runway 10R, 5 mi north of pdx, we were advised to look for VFR traffic at 2 O'clock, 5 mi. Passing through 6800 ft we got an RA to climb. I disconnected the autoplt and climbed to 7300 ft. As we bottomed out at 6600 ft we saw a cessna close aboard on the right side, approximately 400 ft below us. The cessna was on a sbound heading. Since we were on a 275 degree vector we would have crossed directly in front of the cessna at about 400 ft if we had continued the descent. Portland airport should be a class B airspace. Plus the controller should never have descended us through the cessna's altitude. The controller knew the cessna's altitude to be 6500 ft. Supplemental information from acn 430989: we could not make visual contact with the traffic, but watched it approach on a constant bearing on TCASII. TCASII showed the aircraft at 6300 ft MSL. Passing 7000 ft MSL with no visual, we slowed the descent, and the TCASII activated at 6700 'climb, climb' with an RA warning. We bottomed out at 6500 ft MSL and climbed back up to 7300 ft MSL. Leveling at 7300 ft MSL we reported to approach, who immediately turned us on base (back toward the traffic) and a descent to 3000 ft MSL. Approach did not respond to our question about the proximity of the VFR traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 HAS AN NMAC WITH A CESSNA TYPE ACFT 5 MI N OF PDX WHILE ON A VECTOR FOR LNDG RWY 10R.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM 10000 FT TO 5000 FT ON THE DOWNWIND TO RWY 10R, 5 MI N OF PDX, WE WERE ADVISED TO LOOK FOR VFR TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK, 5 MI. PASSING THROUGH 6800 FT WE GOT AN RA TO CLB. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CLBED TO 7300 FT. AS WE BOTTOMED OUT AT 6600 FT WE SAW A CESSNA CLOSE ABOARD ON THE R SIDE, APPROX 400 FT BELOW US. THE CESSNA WAS ON A SBOUND HDG. SINCE WE WERE ON A 275 DEG VECTOR WE WOULD HAVE CROSSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CESSNA AT ABOUT 400 FT IF WE HAD CONTINUED THE DSCNT. PORTLAND ARPT SHOULD BE A CLASS B AIRSPACE. PLUS THE CTLR SHOULD NEVER HAVE DSNDED US THROUGH THE CESSNA'S ALT. THE CTLR KNEW THE CESSNA'S ALT TO BE 6500 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430989: WE COULD NOT MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC, BUT WATCHED IT APCH ON A CONSTANT BEARING ON TCASII. TCASII SHOWED THE ACFT AT 6300 FT MSL. PASSING 7000 FT MSL WITH NO VISUAL, WE SLOWED THE DSCNT, AND THE TCASII ACTIVATED AT 6700 'CLB, CLB' WITH AN RA WARNING. WE BOTTOMED OUT AT 6500 FT MSL AND CLBED BACK UP TO 7300 FT MSL. LEVELING AT 7300 FT MSL WE RPTED TO APCH, WHO IMMEDIATELY TURNED US ON BASE (BACK TOWARD THE TFC) AND A DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. APCH DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR QUESTION ABOUT THE PROX OF THE VFR TFC.

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.