Narrative:

We were en route from lax to psp. As we approached pdz on V388, we were given a call for citation traffic at 9 O'clock position. I may have given a 'looking' call. Immediately following the traffic call, ATC gave us a heading to 290 degrees and I believe a continued descent to 6000 ft. He had previously issued 7000 ft. In my response of the new altitude, I asked if the vector was for traffic. He said yes, but it was no longer a factor and we should turn 20 degrees left to join V16. His heading clearly was not going to get us on V16, so I started to tell my first officer to come left about 10-20 degrees more. I did not finish as I saw traffic on TCASII and outside. My first officer noticed it at the same time and immediately clicked off the autoplt and slowed our descent. The traffic appeared to be a military blackhawk helicopter, crossing right to left. I do not remember the initial altitude from the TCASII, but I believe it was within 1000 ft. With a turn to an intercept we would have been directly converging and even leaving our heading at the 20 degrees left as directed by ATC, we were uncomfortable close. The closest altitude from TCASII was 600 ft, and I'm fairly certain we were never closer than 2 mi. Had we not responded by slowing the descent, the assigned heading may have put us in a near miss situation. ATC's next transmission was an indignant 'I guess I'm going to need to give you a heading,' insinuating we could not figure out how to join a course. I was not and am not concerned with his attitude. My concern lies in the danger of the situation. He was probably very busy and my first officer and I both noticed that he seemed flustered. When he gave us a specific heading to join V16, I mentioned that we were slow to join because of the helicopter traffic. When he gave us a frequency change, I asked if he was aware of the helicopter. He said he was and that it was never a factor. I do not agree and told him so he responded by asking me if I wanted a number. I declined. I was not and am not interested in getting him in trouble. I was not aware if he was even talking to the military helicopter and did not want the situation repeated for someone who was not as vigilant as our crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 FLC CHALLENGES SCT CTLR WHEN NOT ISSUED TFC OBSERVED ON TCASII PASSING WITHIN 2 MI AND 600 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM LAX TO PSP. AS WE APCHED PDZ ON V388, WE WERE GIVEN A CALL FOR CITATION TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK POS. I MAY HAVE GIVEN A 'LOOKING' CALL. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE TFC CALL, ATC GAVE US A HDG TO 290 DEGS AND I BELIEVE A CONTINUED DSCNT TO 6000 FT. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ISSUED 7000 FT. IN MY RESPONSE OF THE NEW ALT, I ASKED IF THE VECTOR WAS FOR TFC. HE SAID YES, BUT IT WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR AND WE SHOULD TURN 20 DEGS L TO JOIN V16. HIS HDG CLRLY WAS NOT GOING TO GET US ON V16, SO I STARTED TO TELL MY FO TO COME L ABOUT 10-20 DEGS MORE. I DID NOT FINISH AS I SAW TFC ON TCASII AND OUTSIDE. MY FO NOTICED IT AT THE SAME TIME AND IMMEDIATELY CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND SLOWED OUR DSCNT. THE TFC APPEARED TO BE A MIL BLACKHAWK HELI, XING R TO L. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE INITIAL ALT FROM THE TCASII, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS WITHIN 1000 FT. WITH A TURN TO AN INTERCEPT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY CONVERGING AND EVEN LEAVING OUR HDG AT THE 20 DEGS L AS DIRECTED BY ATC, WE WERE UNCOMFORTABLE CLOSE. THE CLOSEST ALT FROM TCASII WAS 600 FT, AND I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN WE WERE NEVER CLOSER THAN 2 MI. HAD WE NOT RESPONDED BY SLOWING THE DSCNT, THE ASSIGNED HDG MAY HAVE PUT US IN A NEAR MISS SIT. ATC'S NEXT XMISSION WAS AN INDIGNANT 'I GUESS I'M GOING TO NEED TO GIVE YOU A HDG,' INSINUATING WE COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO JOIN A COURSE. I WAS NOT AND AM NOT CONCERNED WITH HIS ATTITUDE. MY CONCERN LIES IN THE DANGER OF THE SIT. HE WAS PROBABLY VERY BUSY AND MY FO AND I BOTH NOTICED THAT HE SEEMED FLUSTERED. WHEN HE GAVE US A SPECIFIC HDG TO JOIN V16, I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE SLOW TO JOIN BECAUSE OF THE HELI TFC. WHEN HE GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE, I ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE HELI. HE SAID HE WAS AND THAT IT WAS NEVER A FACTOR. I DO NOT AGREE AND TOLD HIM SO HE RESPONDED BY ASKING ME IF I WANTED A NUMBER. I DECLINED. I WAS NOT AND AM NOT INTERESTED IN GETTING HIM IN TROUBLE. I WAS NOT AWARE IF HE WAS EVEN TALKING TO THE MIL HELI AND DID NOT WANT THE SIT REPEATED FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT AS VIGILANT AS OUR CREW.

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.