Narrative:

I was flying my bonanza A36. I was cleared by el paso approach to 5000 ft AGL and on notifying him I had field in sight at about XA45, he cleared me for visual approach on runway 26L and asked me to contact tower. I contacted tower and he cleared me to land on runway 26L. I was lined up on the runway and about 3 mi out descending when my TCASII idented another aircraft at 600 ft above me and 1 1/2 mi to my left at 9 O'clock position. The tower then cleared the B737 for visual approach on runway 26L and informed me in the same transmission that the B737 traffic would pass in front of me. The B737 pilot replied and stated he did not have traffic in sight (me). At this time, he was 400 ft above and about 1/4 mi from me (on TCASII and visual) and descending directly for me. I turned right to avoid him and descended. As he passed directly over me and 300 ft above on TCASII, I told him I was immediately under him and continued evasive action. He then passed ahead of me, at which time we were about 1 1/2 mi from touchdown. I then did a 360 degree turn to the left to increase separation flying through his wake turbulence and then proceeded to land after the B737 was clear of the runway. The B737 pilot replied after landing that they never saw traffic. I feel clearing both aircraft to visual approach within 400 ft vertical separation was an error and had I not taken evasive action, he would have descended right on top of me with dire consequences to both aircraft. Controller should have anticipated the problem and not cleared us both within such close proximity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BONANZA A36 PLT ON A VISUAL APCH TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID COLLISION WHEN A B737 ALSO ON A VISUAL APCH DSNDED OVER HIM.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY BONANZA A36. I WAS CLRED BY EL PASO APCH TO 5000 FT AGL AND ON NOTIFYING HIM I HAD FIELD IN SIGHT AT ABOUT XA45, HE CLRED ME FOR VISUAL APCH ON RWY 26L AND ASKED ME TO CONTACT TWR. I CONTACTED TWR AND HE CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 26L. I WAS LINED UP ON THE RWY AND ABOUT 3 MI OUT DSNDING WHEN MY TCASII IDENTED ANOTHER ACFT AT 600 FT ABOVE ME AND 1 1/2 MI TO MY L AT 9 O'CLOCK POS. THE TWR THEN CLRED THE B737 FOR VISUAL APCH ON RWY 26L AND INFORMED ME IN THE SAME XMISSION THAT THE B737 TFC WOULD PASS IN FRONT OF ME. THE B737 PLT REPLIED AND STATED HE DID NOT HAVE TFC IN SIGHT (ME). AT THIS TIME, HE WAS 400 FT ABOVE AND ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM ME (ON TCASII AND VISUAL) AND DSNDING DIRECTLY FOR ME. I TURNED R TO AVOID HIM AND DSNDED. AS HE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER ME AND 300 FT ABOVE ON TCASII, I TOLD HIM I WAS IMMEDIATELY UNDER HIM AND CONTINUED EVASIVE ACTION. HE THEN PASSED AHEAD OF ME, AT WHICH TIME WE WERE ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN. I THEN DID A 360 DEG TURN TO THE L TO INCREASE SEPARATION FLYING THROUGH HIS WAKE TURB AND THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND AFTER THE B737 WAS CLR OF THE RWY. THE B737 PLT REPLIED AFTER LNDG THAT THEY NEVER SAW TFC. I FEEL CLRING BOTH ACFT TO VISUAL APCH WITHIN 400 FT VERT SEPARATION WAS AN ERROR AND HAD I NOT TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION, HE WOULD HAVE DSNDED RIGHT ON TOP OF ME WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES TO BOTH ACFT. CTLR SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE PROB AND NOT CLRED US BOTH WITHIN SUCH CLOSE PROX.

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.