B757 reporter concerns over lack of traffic control descending into lga.

Attributes
ACN	452020
Time
Date	199910
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13500 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : minks
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-46 Malibu
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 183 flight time total : 10362 flight time type : 560
ASRS Report	452020
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical conflict : nmac non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Miss Distance	horizontal : 250 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : zdc.artcc
Airspace Structure	class e : zdc.e

Narrative:

Descending into lga on the minks arrival between kerno and somto, ZDC (frequency 132.52) cleared us to cross somto at and maintain 13000 ft. During the descent, ZDC called traffic at 1 O'clock to 12 O'clock position and 7 mi. We told them no contact. ZDC then called traffic 1 O'clock, moving to 12 O'clock and 7 mi. We told them no contact still. Approaching 15000 ft, we got a TCASII TA. I told ATC we would level at 15000 ft. As we were leveling at 15000 ft, the TCASII gave us a 'monitor vertical speed' advisory. As we leveled, the malibu aircraft Y passed 500 ft below and within 200-300 ft laterally. ZDC never advised us to stop the descent for this traffic as we would have expected. Because we stopped at 15000 ft, there was legal separation between us and the VFR traffic. After passing the traffic we continued our descent to 13000 ft and the rest of the descent, approach, and landing was uneventful. I talked with the shift supervisor and he said he would talk with the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 RPTR CONCERNS OVER LACK OF TFC CTL DSNDING INTO LGA.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO LGA ON THE MINKS ARR BTWN KERNO AND SOMTO, ZDC (FREQ 132.52) CLRED US TO CROSS SOMTO AT AND MAINTAIN 13000 FT. DURING THE DSCNT, ZDC CALLED TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK TO 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 7 MI. WE TOLD THEM NO CONTACT. ZDC THEN CALLED TFC 1 O'CLOCK, MOVING TO 12 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. WE TOLD THEM NO CONTACT STILL. APCHING 15000 FT, WE GOT A TCASII TA. I TOLD ATC WE WOULD LEVEL AT 15000 FT. AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 15000 FT, THE TCASII GAVE US A 'MONITOR VERT SPD' ADVISORY. AS WE LEVELED, THE MALIBU ACFT Y PASSED 500 FT BELOW AND WITHIN 200-300 FT LATERALLY. ZDC NEVER ADVISED US TO STOP THE DSCNT FOR THIS TFC AS WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. BECAUSE WE STOPPED AT 15000 FT, THERE WAS LEGAL SEPARATION BTWN US AND THE VFR TFC. AFTER PASSING THE TFC WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO 13000 FT AND THE REST OF THE DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I TALKED WITH THE SHIFT SUPVR AND HE SAID HE WOULD TALK WITH THE CTLR.

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.