Narrative:

Flight abc from ord to phl. On vectors to the final approach for runway 27R at the phl airport, we had what appeared to be a traffic conflict. We were turned to base from the north on the approach for the intercept of the localizer course. The controller gave us a turn to 270 degrees to slightly pass through the localizer and then come back from the south to intercept. He also told us to descend from 3000 ft to 2000 ft. While in the turn and descent, there was a blocked transmission on the frequency. We told this to the controller and he then gave us a turn to 290 degrees and the descent to 2000 ft. While this was all happening, we got a TCASII advisory on an aircraft south of our position (never called to us by the controller) who looked to be on the downwind from the south side for runway 27R. We were concerned about his position and we were monitoring his track. We never got an alert, but he must have because he said he was responding to a TCASII alert. The controller also called us at this time and said that we were 2600 ft and could we see the runway and could we complete the approach visually and land. The conditions would not allow this course of action nor could we see the runway. We were also still trying to verify the position of the other aircraft that we never did see. When we didn't reply immediately, the controller told us that he would vector us for another approach. He climbed us back to 3000 ft and gave us heading back around for another approach which was completed uneventfully. No near midair collision was declared. We were, according to our TCASII, always with enough separation, but it was a very disconcerting approach -- especially with the extremely hazy conditions that we were in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD SUPER 80 FLC WERE GIVEN VECTORS FOR ANOTHER APCH AFTER APCH CTLR TURNED THEM LATE ON THE LOC CAUSING CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT TURNING ONTO THE LOC FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: FLT ABC FROM ORD TO PHL. ON VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH FOR RWY 27R AT THE PHL ARPT, WE HAD WHAT APPEARED TO BE A TFC CONFLICT. WE WERE TURNED TO BASE FROM THE N ON THE APCH FOR THE INTERCEPT OF THE LOC COURSE. THE CTLR GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEGS TO SLIGHTLY PASS THROUGH THE LOC AND THEN COME BACK FROM THE S TO INTERCEPT. HE ALSO TOLD US TO DSND FROM 3000 FT TO 2000 FT. WHILE IN THE TURN AND DSCNT, THERE WAS A BLOCKED XMISSION ON THE FREQ. WE TOLD THIS TO THE CTLR AND HE THEN GAVE US A TURN TO 290 DEGS AND THE DSCNT TO 2000 FT. WHILE THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING, WE GOT A TCASII ADVISORY ON AN ACFT S OF OUR POS (NEVER CALLED TO US BY THE CTLR) WHO LOOKED TO BE ON THE DOWNWIND FROM THE S SIDE FOR RWY 27R. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS POS AND WE WERE MONITORING HIS TRACK. WE NEVER GOT AN ALERT, BUT HE MUST HAVE BECAUSE HE SAID HE WAS RESPONDING TO A TCASII ALERT. THE CTLR ALSO CALLED US AT THIS TIME AND SAID THAT WE WERE 2600 FT AND COULD WE SEE THE RWY AND COULD WE COMPLETE THE APCH VISUALLY AND LAND. THE CONDITIONS WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS COURSE OF ACTION NOR COULD WE SEE THE RWY. WE WERE ALSO STILL TRYING TO VERIFY THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT THAT WE NEVER DID SEE. WHEN WE DIDN'T REPLY IMMEDIATELY, THE CTLR TOLD US THAT HE WOULD VECTOR US FOR ANOTHER APCH. HE CLBED US BACK TO 3000 FT AND GAVE US HDG BACK AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH WHICH WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. NO NMAC WAS DECLARED. WE WERE, ACCORDING TO OUR TCASII, ALWAYS WITH ENOUGH SEPARATION, BUT IT WAS A VERY DISCONCERTING APCH -- ESPECIALLY WITH THE EXTREMELY HAZY CONDITIONS THAT WE WERE IN.

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.