Narrative:

Flying from orlando (mco) to sanford (sfb) in the late afternoon there were several cells along the route. With slight deviations and an early descent from 6000 ft most WX was avoided. Prior to being handed off from orlando approach to sanford tower we reported the field (sfb) in sight and were subsequently cleared the visual to follow another citation jet about 2 mi ahead. We reported the aircraft in sight and were told to follow with s-turns approved to the north if necessary, contact tower 120.30. We immediately began to s-turn north and slowed to our final approach speed (orlando approach also requested this) to get adequate spacing as we monitored tower. The frequency was heavily congested so we continued our s-turns and the visual we were cleared. Probably about 1 mi from the approach end of runway 9L we received an RA to descend, descend. We acquired traffic visually and continued our visual. If we would have continued on our previous course and not descended we would have passed within an estimated 100-200 ft. At the time of our RA tower told the other aircraft to start an immediate climbing right turn and that she had no idea what we were doing there because nobody was talking to us. The other aircraft reported us in sight. I immediately keyed up and said we were 'call sign, cleared for a visual by approach, s-turn to the north if necessary.' she cleared us to land. Once on the ground tower contacted us by phone to hear our report. We explained to them that approach cleared us for the visual behind the citation s-turn to the north if necessary. It kind of sounded like they never knew we were there. Approach forgot to let them know we were there. Also the heavy thunderstorm approaching the area along with a busy frequency/pattern at sanford led to a near miss.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A C560 AND AN UNKNOWN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL AT SFB, FL.

Narrative: FLYING FROM ORLANDO (MCO) TO SANFORD (SFB) IN THE LATE AFTERNOON THERE WERE SEVERAL CELLS ALONG THE RTE. WITH SLIGHT DEVS AND AN EARLY DSCNT FROM 6000 FT MOST WX WAS AVOIDED. PRIOR TO BEING HANDED OFF FROM ORLANDO APCH TO SANFORD TWR WE RPTED THE FIELD (SFB) IN SIGHT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED THE VISUAL TO FOLLOW ANOTHER CITATION JET ABOUT 2 MI AHEAD. WE RPTED THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW WITH S-TURNS APPROVED TO THE N IF NECESSARY, CONTACT TWR 120.30. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO S-TURN N AND SLOWED TO OUR FINAL APCH SPD (ORLANDO APCH ALSO REQUESTED THIS) TO GET ADEQUATE SPACING AS WE MONITORED TWR. THE FREQ WAS HEAVILY CONGESTED SO WE CONTINUED OUR S-TURNS AND THE VISUAL WE WERE CLRED. PROBABLY ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 9L WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND, DSND. WE ACQUIRED TFC VISUALLY AND CONTINUED OUR VISUAL. IF WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED ON OUR PREVIOUS COURSE AND NOT DSNDED WE WOULD HAVE PASSED WITHIN AN ESTIMATED 100-200 FT. AT THE TIME OF OUR RA TWR TOLD THE OTHER ACFT TO START AN IMMEDIATE CLBING R TURN AND THAT SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE DOING THERE BECAUSE NOBODY WAS TALKING TO US. THE OTHER ACFT RPTED US IN SIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY KEYED UP AND SAID WE WERE 'CALL SIGN, CLRED FOR A VISUAL BY APCH, S-TURN TO THE N IF NECESSARY.' SHE CLRED US TO LAND. ONCE ON THE GND TWR CONTACTED US BY PHONE TO HEAR OUR RPT. WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL BEHIND THE CITATION S-TURN TO THE N IF NECESSARY. IT KIND OF SOUNDED LIKE THEY NEVER KNEW WE WERE THERE. APCH FORGOT TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE THERE. ALSO THE HVY TSTM APCHING THE AREA ALONG WITH A BUSY FREQ/PATTERN AT SANFORD LED TO A NEAR MISS.

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.