Narrative:

RA during visual to runway 35R dfw. Off of the bonham arrival to dfw, we were descending on the downwind for an approach to runway 35R at dfw. Fort worth approach (119.4) called a B727 as our traffic and asked if we had it. We replied that we thought we did. Approach gave us a base turn and cleared us the visual to runway 35R. Turning to the west, we asked for clarification of our traffic as there were numerous visual targets. Approach confirmed the traffic we called and sent us over to dfw tower, again clearing us the visual runway 35R. The first officer was flying and both of us were trying to sort out the numerous aircraft all approaching dfw. In so doing, he overshot the centerline for runway 35R. I called traffic 400 ft above and uncomfortably close. At that time he was already correcting back to centerline. We received an RA to descend, which we did, while returning to centerline. I believe the other aircraft was on approach to runway 35C and on frequency 126.55 that he received an RA to climb as he appeared to do so. The remainder of the approach/landing was normal. WX was reported as clear with 8 SM visibility at the time, though hazy. In the future, given a similar situation, dense traffic, nighttime, and less than perfect visibility, I will not accept a visual approach, even though we have the runway in sight. Supplemental information from acn 463091: just prior to turn from downwind to base, controller gave garbled transmission that sounded like 'I'm going to squeeze you in between to aircraft on final.' previously we had been told to expect runway 35R. We could see at least 5 aircraft on final for runway 36L/35C/35R, but not the airport due to haze. He issued traffic to follow at 2:30 O'clock position and gave a wbound turn to base leg. We had 2 aircraft at that position -- one appearing slightly higher than the other. PNF queried which one was our traffic, and a very busy controller replied 'follow the B727 at 1 O'clock position, contact tower.' as we followed that traffic, we noted traffic closing at 11 O'clock position and as we turned toward the airport to follow our traffic, we got an RA with a 1500 FPM descent command from the 11 O'clock position traffic. We complied with the RA and when clear of conflict, our traffic to follow was now left (west) of our nose and we noted we were left (west) of the runway 35R localizer by 2 dots. We corrected to localizer centerline at about 8 mi from the airport and now noted the traffic we were attempting to follow was definitely going to runway 35C. Never did see any traffic in front of us lined up on runway 35R. Continued approach and landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD A TCASII RA WITH TFC THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO FOLLOW AT DFW.

Narrative: RA DURING VISUAL TO RWY 35R DFW. OFF OF THE BONHAM ARR TO DFW, WE WERE DSNDING ON THE DOWNWIND FOR AN APCH TO RWY 35R AT DFW. FORT WORTH APCH (119.4) CALLED A B727 AS OUR TFC AND ASKED IF WE HAD IT. WE REPLIED THAT WE THOUGHT WE DID. APCH GAVE US A BASE TURN AND CLRED US THE VISUAL TO RWY 35R. TURNING TO THE W, WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION OF OUR TFC AS THERE WERE NUMEROUS VISUAL TARGETS. APCH CONFIRMED THE TFC WE CALLED AND SENT US OVER TO DFW TWR, AGAIN CLRING US THE VISUAL RWY 35R. THE FO WAS FLYING AND BOTH OF US WERE TRYING TO SORT OUT THE NUMEROUS ACFT ALL APCHING DFW. IN SO DOING, HE OVERSHOT THE CTRLINE FOR RWY 35R. I CALLED TFC 400 FT ABOVE AND UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE. AT THAT TIME HE WAS ALREADY CORRECTING BACK TO CTRLINE. WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND, WHICH WE DID, WHILE RETURNING TO CTRLINE. I BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON APCH TO RWY 35C AND ON FREQ 126.55 THAT HE RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB AS HE APPEARED TO DO SO. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH/LNDG WAS NORMAL. WX WAS RPTED AS CLR WITH 8 SM VISIBILITY AT THE TIME, THOUGH HAZY. IN THE FUTURE, GIVEN A SIMILAR SIT, DENSE TFC, NIGHTTIME, AND LESS THAN PERFECT VISIBILITY, I WILL NOT ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 463091: JUST PRIOR TO TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE, CTLR GAVE GARBLED XMISSION THAT SOUNDED LIKE 'I'M GOING TO SQUEEZE YOU IN BTWN TO ACFT ON FINAL.' PREVIOUSLY WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 35R. WE COULD SEE AT LEAST 5 ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 36L/35C/35R, BUT NOT THE ARPT DUE TO HAZE. HE ISSUED TFC TO FOLLOW AT 2:30 O'CLOCK POS AND GAVE A WBOUND TURN TO BASE LEG. WE HAD 2 ACFT AT THAT POS -- ONE APPEARING SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE OTHER. PNF QUERIED WHICH ONE WAS OUR TFC, AND A VERY BUSY CTLR REPLIED 'FOLLOW THE B727 AT 1 O'CLOCK POS, CONTACT TWR.' AS WE FOLLOWED THAT TFC, WE NOTED TFC CLOSING AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND AS WE TURNED TOWARD THE ARPT TO FOLLOW OUR TFC, WE GOT AN RA WITH A 1500 FPM DSCNT COMMAND FROM THE 11 O'CLOCK POS TFC. WE COMPLIED WITH THE RA AND WHEN CLR OF CONFLICT, OUR TFC TO FOLLOW WAS NOW L (W) OF OUR NOSE AND WE NOTED WE WERE L (W) OF THE RWY 35R LOC BY 2 DOTS. WE CORRECTED TO LOC CTRLINE AT ABOUT 8 MI FROM THE ARPT AND NOW NOTED THE TFC WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW WAS DEFINITELY GOING TO RWY 35C. NEVER DID SEE ANY TFC IN FRONT OF US LINED UP ON RWY 35R. CONTINUED APCH AND LANDED.

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.