Narrative:

On final approach inside the OM we had a TCASII RA to descend. Captain was hand flying and started a left descending turn away from the target. Tower alerted us to an aircraft at 1 O'clock position. I replied that 'we're looking' (for traffic). I saw the aircraft coming out of a cloud heading straight at us with wings level, climbing. He then saw us and turned left (now outbound directly opposite our flight path). I radioed tower and called 'traffic in sight,' and then 'he's clear,' as we passed opposite directions wingtip to wingtip at the same altitude less than 1500 ft apart. The captain then turned back to the runway and we landed normally. In talking to the tower personnel, the supervisor said that the controller for runway 9R was asked by the foreign flight crew if they could make a 'left circuit.' the controller was unsure of what that meant but approved it anyway. If we had not immediately started the TCASII descending turn to avoid him this may have ended differently. The controller should not have authority/authorized anything with the word 'left' in it for a parallel approach on runway 9R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOREIGN BASED MD80 CIRCLING L FROM AN ILS TO RWY 9R HAS A NEAR NMAC WITH ANOTHER MD80 ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 9L AT MIA, FL.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH INSIDE THE OM WE HAD A TCASII RA TO DSND. CAPT WAS HAND FLYING AND STARTED A L DSNDING TURN AWAY FROM THE TARGET. TWR ALERTED US TO AN ACFT AT 1 O'CLOCK POS. I REPLIED THAT 'WE'RE LOOKING' (FOR TFC). I SAW THE ACFT COMING OUT OF A CLOUD HEADING STRAIGHT AT US WITH WINGS LEVEL, CLBING. HE THEN SAW US AND TURNED L (NOW OUTBOUND DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OUR FLT PATH). I RADIOED TWR AND CALLED 'TFC IN SIGHT,' AND THEN 'HE'S CLR,' AS WE PASSED OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS WINGTIP TO WINGTIP AT THE SAME ALT LESS THAN 1500 FT APART. THE CAPT THEN TURNED BACK TO THE RWY AND WE LANDED NORMALLY. IN TALKING TO THE TWR PERSONNEL, THE SUPVR SAID THAT THE CTLR FOR RWY 9R WAS ASKED BY THE FOREIGN FLC IF THEY COULD MAKE A 'L CIRCUIT.' THE CTLR WAS UNSURE OF WHAT THAT MEANT BUT APPROVED IT ANYWAY. IF WE HAD NOT IMMEDIATELY STARTED THE TCASII DSNDING TURN TO AVOID HIM THIS MAY HAVE ENDED DIFFERENTLY. THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE AUTH ANYTHING WITH THE WORD 'L' IN IT FOR A PARALLEL APCH ON RWY 9R.

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.