MD80 crew had an near midair collision with a VFR small aircraft in bdl class east.

Attributes
ACN	546320
Time
Date	200205
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : y90.tracon
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : y90.tracon tower : tus.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : y90.tracon
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	546320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	vertical : 400
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : bdl.tracon

Narrative:

Near midair collision at bdl. During arrival to bdl approach controller cleared us out of 11000 ft to 7000 ft, then cleared us to level at 9000 ft. Due to VFR traffic at 8500 ft. He then cleared us to descend to 7000 ft saying he would get us down before the VFR traffic. As we descended thru 9000 ft we received a TCASII alert then an RA advisory to stop descent. As we stopped our descent at about 8900 ft we saw the small aircraft at about our 12 O'clock position low. Our TCASII indicated we were within 400 ft of the VFR traffic. If we had not received the TCASII alert we would have continued our descent with who knows what outcome with the VFR traffic. We did not get a visual on him until we had responded to the RA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD AN NMAC WITH A VFR SMALL ACFT IN BDL CLASS E.

Narrative: NMAC AT BDL. DURING ARR TO BDL APCH CTLR CLRED US OUT OF 11000 FT TO 7000 FT, THEN CLRED US TO LEVEL AT 9000 FT. DUE TO VFR TFC AT 8500 FT. HE THEN CLRED US TO DSND TO 7000 FT SAYING HE WOULD GET US DOWN BEFORE THE VFR TFC. AS WE DSNDED THRU 9000 FT WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT THEN AN RA ADVISORY TO STOP DSCNT. AS WE STOPPED OUR DSCNT AT ABOUT 8900 FT WE SAW THE SMALL ACFT AT ABOUT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS LOW. OUR TCASII INDICATED WE WERE WITHIN 400 FT OF THE VFR TFC. IF WE HAD NOT RECEIVED THE TCASII ALERT WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT WITH WHO KNOWS WHAT OUTCOME WITH THE VFR TFC. WE DID NOT GET A VISUAL ON HIM UNTIL WE HAD RESPONDED TO THE RA.

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.