A B1900D flight crew experienced a near midair collision with a dash 8.

Attributes
ACN	577922
Time
Date	200303
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vor
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 9800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 430 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	577922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical conflict : nmac other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

En route to ZZZ from fll. The captain and I were in cruise flight just prior to ZMA giving us a descent into ZZZ. We started our descent when center announced that we had traffic at our 1 O'clock position (TCASII showed traffic to be at our 11 O'clock position). Center told us to turn 10 degrees left to avoid traffic, however, due to the position shown on TCASII of the aircraft approaching, we stayed on course trying to get a visual of the traffic. Shortly after, ATC gave us the course deviation, our TCASII alert went off. The captain banked hard right and climbed to get away from the converging aircraft. Had we turned 10 degrees left as ATC stated, I feel that we would have most likely been involved in a midair collision. We were in VFR conditions in class east airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B1900D FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A NMAC WITH A DASH 8.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ZZZ FROM FLL. THE CAPT AND I WERE IN CRUISE FLT JUST PRIOR TO ZMA GIVING US A DSCNT INTO ZZZ. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT WHEN CTR ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD TFC AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS (TCASII SHOWED TFC TO BE AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS). CTR TOLD US TO TURN 10 DEGS L TO AVOID TFC, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE POS SHOWN ON TCASII OF THE ACFT APCHING, WE STAYED ON COURSE TRYING TO GET A VISUAL OF THE TFC. SHORTLY AFTER, ATC GAVE US THE COURSE DEV, OUR TCASII ALERT WENT OFF. THE CAPT BANKED HARD R AND CLBED TO GET AWAY FROM THE CONVERGING ACFT. HAD WE TURNED 10 DEGS L AS ATC STATED, I FEEL THAT WE WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY BEEN INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE.

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.