Narrative:

We were descending into jef in IMC and in contact with mizzu approach. Mizzu had vectored us for an ILS runway 30 approach from the northeast. We had intercepted the localizer and GS and were cleared for the approach. We had just passed algoa LOM descending on localizer and on GS and we had not yet been handed off to jef tower. I was about to ask mizzu for the handoff when mizzu called us and said something to the effect of 'cancel your approach clearance, you have opposite direction traffic off of jef, turn right heading 360 degrees, climb and maintain 3000 ft. There didn't seem to be any urgency in his voice. I immediately looked at our TCASII display and saw this target initially at 800 ft below us and approximately 2 1/2 mi at 12 O'clock position and climbing rapidly (it was also a jet). I immediately told the PF to turn hard right, and he did. His TCASII target passed ours at 9 O'clock position, 0 ft vertical clearance and what I estimated to be less than 1 mi -- possible 1/2 mi and horizontal clearance. Being in IMC, we never established visual contact with the other aircraft. We were then revectored for the approach and landed without incident. We called the tower at jef on the landline to discuss the incident. (Jef tower is non radar.) he didn't know the incident had happened! We called mizzu approach on the landline and they informed us that they had already begun an investigation of the incident. They said that the person working mizzu approach radar had made a mistake. When the jef tower controller called to request the release for the jet departure runway 12, the radar controller 'expected' to hear the request from runway 30, not runway 12, and he heard what he expected to hear -- not what was really said. The approach controller became aware of the conflict only because as we approached the LOM, he had not yet seen the departing aircraft on his screen so he called the tower controller and asked for the position of the departing aircraft. The tower controller said that the aircraft was just lifting off of runway 12. The radar controller told the tower to issue a right turn to the departing aircraft and then called us. We were already inside the marker at between 1200 ft and 1000 ft AGL (which prevents our TCASII from issuing any RA's or audible warnings of any kind) and our closure rate was rapidly approaching 350+ KTS. Obvious problem is that jef tower does not have radar. If tower had radar, he would have known our position long before this happened. I believe his command to us could have been more urgent. We learned that when shooting an approach in IMC to an airport that is either a non radar tower field or an uncontrolled field, that we should include in our scan the TCASII display, since it may not announce the presence of traffic in this phase of flight. Also, I would strongly recommend that the FAA install radar at all towers!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C500 IS VECTORED OFF JEF RWY 30 FINAL APCH COURSE INSIDE LOM WHEN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC BECOMES AIRBORNE.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO JEF IN IMC AND IN CONTACT WITH MIZZU APCH. MIZZU HAD VECTORED US FOR AN ILS RWY 30 APCH FROM THE NE. WE HAD INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND GS AND WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE HAD JUST PASSED ALGOA LOM DSNDING ON LOC AND ON GS AND WE HAD NOT YET BEEN HANDED OFF TO JEF TWR. I WAS ABOUT TO ASK MIZZU FOR THE HDOF WHEN MIZZU CALLED US AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'CANCEL YOUR APCH CLRNC, YOU HAVE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC OFF OF JEF, TURN R HDG 360 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY URGENCY IN HIS VOICE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT OUR TCASII DISPLAY AND SAW THIS TARGET INITIALLY AT 800 FT BELOW US AND APPROX 2 1/2 MI AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND CLBING RAPIDLY (IT WAS ALSO A JET). I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE PF TO TURN HARD R, AND HE DID. HIS TCASII TARGET PASSED OURS AT 9 O'CLOCK POS, 0 FT VERT CLRNC AND WHAT I ESTIMATED TO BE LESS THAN 1 MI -- POSSIBLE 1/2 MI AND HORIZ CLRNC. BEING IN IMC, WE NEVER ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT. WE WERE THEN REVECTORED FOR THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE CALLED THE TWR AT JEF ON THE LANDLINE TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. (JEF TWR IS NON RADAR.) HE DIDN'T KNOW THE INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED! WE CALLED MIZZU APCH ON THE LANDLINE AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT. THEY SAID THAT THE PERSON WORKING MIZZU APCH RADAR HAD MADE A MISTAKE. WHEN THE JEF TWR CTLR CALLED TO REQUEST THE RELEASE FOR THE JET DEP RWY 12, THE RADAR CTLR 'EXPECTED' TO HEAR THE REQUEST FROM RWY 30, NOT RWY 12, AND HE HEARD WHAT HE EXPECTED TO HEAR -- NOT WHAT WAS REALLY SAID. THE APCH CTLR BECAME AWARE OF THE CONFLICT ONLY BECAUSE AS WE APCHED THE LOM, HE HAD NOT YET SEEN THE DEPARTING ACFT ON HIS SCREEN SO HE CALLED THE TWR CTLR AND ASKED FOR THE POS OF THE DEPARTING ACFT. THE TWR CTLR SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS JUST LIFTING OFF OF RWY 12. THE RADAR CTLR TOLD THE TWR TO ISSUE A R TURN TO THE DEPARTING ACFT AND THEN CALLED US. WE WERE ALREADY INSIDE THE MARKER AT BTWN 1200 FT AND 1000 FT AGL (WHICH PREVENTS OUR TCASII FROM ISSUING ANY RA'S OR AUDIBLE WARNINGS OF ANY KIND) AND OUR CLOSURE RATE WAS RAPIDLY APCHING 350+ KTS. OBVIOUS PROB IS THAT JEF TWR DOES NOT HAVE RADAR. IF TWR HAD RADAR, HE WOULD HAVE KNOWN OUR POS LONG BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I BELIEVE HIS COMMAND TO US COULD HAVE BEEN MORE URGENT. WE LEARNED THAT WHEN SHOOTING AN APCH IN IMC TO AN ARPT THAT IS EITHER A NON RADAR TWR FIELD OR AN UNCTLED FIELD, THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE IN OUR SCAN THE TCASII DISPLAY, SINCE IT MAY NOT ANNOUNCE THE PRESENCE OF TFC IN THIS PHASE OF FLT. ALSO, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE FAA INSTALL RADAR AT ALL TWRS!

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.