DC9 crew given evasive vector by tower.

Attributes
ACN	501413
Time
Date	200102
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 31
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	501413
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	501116
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Miss Distance	vertical : 5000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Expressway visual 31 approach and air traffic area airspace saturated (as usual). On downwind cleared for visual approach behind hawker at 11 O'clock. Turned base, lost traffic. Tower instructed turn 10 degrees right and asked if we had traffic in sight. Then he quickly said 'turn right heading 180 degrees immediately.' in the turn, we saw a DC9 coming down a long final, clearly not on the expressway visual 31 profile. Tower promptly turned us back in for uneventful landing. As usual, there were too many aircraft trying to get into and out of lga. Controller was issuing clrncs in rapid-fire mode. I believe there was a go around in progress as we checked on tower frequency. This may have been our conflict aircraft, I'm still not sure. Obviously the aircraft he cleared us to follow was not the same one we saw at 11 O'clock position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW GIVEN EVASIVE VECTOR BY TWR.

Narrative: EXPRESSWAY VISUAL 31 APCH AND ATA AIRSPACE SATURATED (AS USUAL). ON DOWNWIND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH BEHIND HAWKER AT 11 O'CLOCK. TURNED BASE, LOST TFC. TWR INSTRUCTED TURN 10 DEGS R AND ASKED IF WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT. THEN HE QUICKLY SAID 'TURN R HDG 180 DEGS IMMEDIATELY.' IN THE TURN, WE SAW A DC9 COMING DOWN A LONG FINAL, CLRLY NOT ON THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL 31 PROFILE. TWR PROMPTLY TURNED US BACK IN FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AS USUAL, THERE WERE TOO MANY ACFT TRYING TO GET INTO AND OUT OF LGA. CTLR WAS ISSUING CLRNCS IN RAPID-FIRE MODE. I BELIEVE THERE WAS A GAR IN PROGRESS AS WE CHKED ON TWR FREQ. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN OUR CONFLICT ACFT, I'M STILL NOT SURE. OBVIOUSLY THE ACFT HE CLRED US TO FOLLOW WAS NOT THE SAME ONE WE SAW AT 11 O'CLOCK POS.

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.