Narrative:

We were handed off to innsbruck radar (approach control) on 119.27. Radar gave us a vector heading of 080 degrees as we proceeded towards the rtt NDB, and we were cleared down to 10000 ft on qnh. At this time I went off frequency to obtain the latest ATIS. I had to listen to the ATIS at least 3 times to get all the information. Voice quality was good, but there was more information being given than just local airport surface data. I told the captain, the PF that I was back on frequency. We were now on a 070 degree heading. The TCASII was showing 1 target at about our 2 O'clock position. We believe the other aircraft was an air carrier ATR72. Our gulfstream iv began a right turn to intercept the 211 degree track from rtt NDB to the initial localizer intercept point (D22.0 oev). I asked the captain if we were cleared for the approach. He said I think we were, but the TCASII traffic was now getting closer to us. I went to call radar but he was busy talking. We got a TA then an RA with 'descend, descend now' command from TCASII just as radar told us to turn left and descend. He then gave us a vector heading of 020 degrees (?). This occurred at approximately XA15Z time. We had passed overhead algoi intersection at XA57Z. We were now given a series of vector headings and 360 degree turns. At the conclusion of the second 360 degree turn, radar asked our heading. I told him 220 degrees (I don't exactly remember the heading). He told me we should be on 360 degrees. I retorted that if I'm on 220 degrees at the beginning of a 360 degree turn, that's the heading that I will end up on. We turned to 360 degrees. Radar then vectored us around to intercept the localizer course. Our handler was on the radio listening and heard what had happened. He assured us that no action would be taken. That's always comforting, but there are a few things that can be learned from this incident: you can imagine how tired we were at the end of this trip. The captain said he was fixating on the TCASII target. I know that I was sluggish in some of my duties. The captain is an excellent pilot. This individual is very thorough, very communicative, and very pro-active. He does not do things without a reason. During the time that I was obtaining the ATIS, something had to have been said by radar that led him to believe that radar cleared us for the approach since the aircraft was placed back into LNAV from heading mode. Radar was speaking to us in english and to some of the other aircraft in german. I think this is where some of the confusion began, as we weren't sure what this other aircraft on the TCASII was doing, or going to do. The exchange that I had with radar regarding the 360 degree turns supports above. In retrospect, I think what radar wanted us to do was 'turn right to 360 degrees,' instead he told us to do a 'right 360 degrees.' we landed at lowi at XB30Z after executing the approach and a circle to land runway 8.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A CPR GULFSTREAM IV BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL LOC COURSE AND AN ATR72 LEVEL CONVERGING ON THEIR COURSE. THE G4 RESPONDED TO THEIR TCASII RA BY STARTING A DSCNT AT THE SAME TIME THAT APCH CTLR GAVE THEM A TURN AND DSCNT FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE HANDED OFF TO INNSBRUCK RADAR (APCH CTL) ON 119.27. RADAR GAVE US A VECTOR HEADING OF 080 DEGS AS WE PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE RTT NDB, AND WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 10000 FT ON QNH. AT THIS TIME I WENT OFF FREQ TO OBTAIN THE LATEST ATIS. I HAD TO LISTEN TO THE ATIS AT LEAST 3 TIMES TO GET ALL THE INFO. VOICE QUALITY WAS GOOD, BUT THERE WAS MORE INFO BEING GIVEN THAN JUST LCL ARPT SURFACE DATA. I TOLD THE CAPT, THE PF THAT I WAS BACK ON FREQ. WE WERE NOW ON A 070 DEG HDG. THE TCASII WAS SHOWING 1 TARGET AT ABOUT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. WE BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT WAS AN ACR ATR72. OUR GULFSTREAM IV BEGAN A R TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 211 DEG TRACK FROM RTT NDB TO THE INITIAL LOC INTERCEPT POINT (D22.0 OEV). I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. HE SAID I THINK WE WERE, BUT THE TCASII TFC WAS NOW GETTING CLOSER TO US. I WENT TO CALL RADAR BUT HE WAS BUSY TALKING. WE GOT A TA THEN AN RA WITH 'DSND, DSND NOW' COMMAND FROM TCASII JUST AS RADAR TOLD US TO TURN L AND DSND. HE THEN GAVE US A VECTOR HEADING OF 020 DEGS (?). THIS OCCURRED AT APPROX XA15Z TIME. WE HAD PASSED OVERHEAD ALGOI INTXN AT XA57Z. WE WERE NOW GIVEN A SERIES OF VECTOR HEADINGS AND 360 DEG TURNS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND 360 DEG TURN, RADAR ASKED OUR HEADING. I TOLD HIM 220 DEGS (I DON'T EXACTLY REMEMBER THE HEADING). HE TOLD ME WE SHOULD BE ON 360 DEGS. I RETORTED THAT IF I'M ON 220 DEGS AT THE BEGINNING OF A 360 DEG TURN, THAT'S THE HEADING THAT I WILL END UP ON. WE TURNED TO 360 DEGS. RADAR THEN VECTORED US AROUND TO INTERCEPT THE LOC COURSE. OUR HANDLER WAS ON THE RADIO LISTENING AND HEARD WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE ASSURED US THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. THAT'S ALWAYS COMFORTING, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THIS INCIDENT: YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW TIRED WE WERE AT THE END OF THIS TRIP. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS FIXATING ON THE TCASII TARGET. I KNOW THAT I WAS SLUGGISH IN SOME OF MY DUTIES. THE CAPT IS AN EXCELLENT PLT. THIS INDIVIDUAL IS VERY THOROUGH, VERY COMMUNICATIVE, AND VERY PRO-ACTIVE. HE DOES NOT DO THINGS WITHOUT A REASON. DURING THE TIME THAT I WAS OBTAINING THE ATIS, SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE BEEN SAID BY RADAR THAT LED HIM TO BELIEVE THAT RADAR CLRED US FOR THE APCH SINCE THE ACFT WAS PLACED BACK INTO LNAV FROM HEADING MODE. RADAR WAS SPEAKING TO US IN ENGLISH AND TO SOME OF THE OTHER ACFT IN GERMAN. I THINK THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE CONFUSION BEGAN, AS WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT THIS OTHER ACFT ON THE TCASII WAS DOING, OR GOING TO DO. THE EXCHANGE THAT I HAD WITH RADAR REGARDING THE 360 DEG TURNS SUPPORTS ABOVE. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK WHAT RADAR WANTED US TO DO WAS 'TURN R TO 360 DEGS,' INSTEAD HE TOLD US TO DO A 'R 360 DEGS.' WE LANDED AT LOWI AT XB30Z AFTER EXECUTING THE APCH AND A CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 8.

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.