Narrative:

Our aircraft (#1) was being vectored to memphis approach control for an approach to runway 18R at mem. We were descending through 3500 ft MSL for 2000 ft MSL on ATC assigned heading of 080 degrees, position was approximately 8 mi northwest of mem, runway 18R. Approach then advised us of an aircraft (we believed to be a company A300, aircraft #2) turning 8 mi visual final for runway 18L. We advised ATC that we saw the aircraft and were then vectored to a heading of 120 degrees. As this was a modified dogleg to final, I slowed the aircraft to 220 KTS in anticipation of an approach clearance. At this time, ATC had not told us to intercept the localizer for runway 18R, had not cleared us for a visual approach for runway 18R, nor had they told us to keep visual separation from the A300. The captain queried the approach controller about our approach clearance as we began to cross the localizer final for runway 18R. The approach controller told us to 'turn to heading 165 degrees to intercept the localizer,' by which time we were east of the runway 18R localizer, having overshot it. I disconnected the autoplt and immediately turned to the right to regain the runway 18R localizer. As I began the maneuver, we heard several 'traffic,' callouts from the TCASII. We were now on the runway 18L extended final as we began the correction and the airbus was approximately 1 mi in front of us and about 400 ft below us -- visually confirmed and confirmed with TCASII. We corrected back to the runway 18R final with several more TCASII TA's before landing uneventfully on runway 18R. This chain of events is often repeated at memphis during the hours of XA30 to XC30. There are many aircraft trying to squeeze into the arrival slots. 1 ATC controller missed issuing a clearance and then you have 2 aircraft trying to occupy the same space at the same time. We probably contributed by our high airspeed on dogleg. However, memphis approach frequently tells aircraft approaching final to 'keep speed up' so that would allow more aircraft into the arrival flow.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AT 2300 FT WITH TFC ON PARALLEL RWY WHILE LNDG AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: OUR ACFT (#1) WAS BEING VECTORED TO MEMPHIS APCH CTL FOR AN APCH TO RWY 18R AT MEM. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 3500 FT MSL FOR 2000 FT MSL ON ATC ASSIGNED HDG OF 080 DEGS, POS WAS APPROX 8 MI NW OF MEM, RWY 18R. APCH THEN ADVISED US OF AN ACFT (WE BELIEVED TO BE A COMPANY A300, ACFT #2) TURNING 8 MI VISUAL FINAL FOR RWY 18L. WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE SAW THE ACFT AND WERE THEN VECTORED TO A HDG OF 120 DEGS. AS THIS WAS A MODIFIED DOGLEG TO FINAL, I SLOWED THE ACFT TO 220 KTS IN ANTICIPATION OF AN APCH CLRNC. AT THIS TIME, ATC HAD NOT TOLD US TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 18R, HAD NOT CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 18R, NOR HAD THEY TOLD US TO KEEP VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE A300. THE CAPT QUERIED THE APCH CTLR ABOUT OUR APCH CLRNC AS WE BEGAN TO CROSS THE LOC FINAL FOR RWY 18R. THE APCH CTLR TOLD US TO 'TURN TO HDG 165 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC,' BY WHICH TIME WE WERE E OF THE RWY 18R LOC, HAVING OVERSHOT IT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE R TO REGAIN THE RWY 18R LOC. AS I BEGAN THE MANEUVER, WE HEARD SEVERAL 'TFC,' CALLOUTS FROM THE TCASII. WE WERE NOW ON THE RWY 18L EXTENDED FINAL AS WE BEGAN THE CORRECTION AND THE AIRBUS WAS APPROX 1 MI IN FRONT OF US AND ABOUT 400 FT BELOW US -- VISUALLY CONFIRMED AND CONFIRMED WITH TCASII. WE CORRECTED BACK TO THE RWY 18R FINAL WITH SEVERAL MORE TCASII TA'S BEFORE LNDG UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 18R. THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS IS OFTEN REPEATED AT MEMPHIS DURING THE HRS OF XA30 TO XC30. THERE ARE MANY ACFT TRYING TO SQUEEZE INTO THE ARR SLOTS. 1 ATC CTLR MISSED ISSUING A CLRNC AND THEN YOU HAVE 2 ACFT TRYING TO OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE AT THE SAME TIME. WE PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED BY OUR HIGH AIRSPD ON DOGLEG. HOWEVER, MEMPHIS APCH FREQUENTLY TELLS ACFT APCHING FINAL TO 'KEEP SPD UP' SO THAT WOULD ALLOW MORE ACFT INTO THE ARR FLOW.

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.