Narrative:

Had just been vectored onto and cleared for visual approach to runway 17R. Right after being cleared for visual (approximately 2500 ft); we received a TCAS TA; which alerted us to a king air at our 11 O'clock; 1-2 mi; slightly low; which was coming toward us. The king air was in a slight left turn and it appeared to be maneuvering to line up with our runway. Almost simultaneously; we received an RA telling us to 'adjust vertical speed;' our captain reported to ATC that we had a traffic conflict; and the king air made a sharp left turn away from us and realigned with runway 17L. ATC called the king air(on the same frequency) and advised him that he had been assigned runway 17L. The king air responded with something like 'no one gave me a turn.' by that time; the conflict was resolved and we continued to land without incident. In my opinion; 1 of 2 things went wrong: either the king air had idented the wrong runway or ATC forgot about him on the base leg. Either way; I feel that we were exactly where we were supposed to be and doing what we were supposed to be doing. Both the captain and I were prepared to do more to avoid the traffic; but considering the WX (3000 ft overcast) and the possibility of other traffic in the area; I believe we responded appropriately. Subsequent to the incident; our captain called TRACON; who advised him that they intended to pursue action against the king air pilot(south). In a later conversation with our flight attendants; one of them stated that they had heard some of our passenger talking about seeing an airplane close to us. Although I feel we did a good job throughout this incident; I believe we can never be too vigilant. If I were more experienced and we had not been training; we may have been able to see the conflict sooner and made a call for corrective action sooner. However; I feel that the other operator and/or ATC could have been a lot more vigilant. Supplemental information from acn 692590: on the localizer runway 17R; at approximately 8 mi final; I noted a TCAS target closing at same altitude from the east. Visibility was hazy. However; I was able to acquire the target visually. It was a king air; in a turn that would have it rolel out on our final. The target was in a slow descent. The TCAS advised we hold altitude. I was able to maintain visual contact with the target; however; I could not ask approach about him for several seconds due to radio congestion. When the frequency cleared; I asked about the king air; which almost instantly went into a near 90 degree bank to the left; away from us. I would also advise aus TRACON to consider placing runway 17L runway lights on full intensity during these conditions. It might compensate for the different contrasts in the 2 runways; ie; runway 17R is much lighter in color than runway 17L. Thus runway 17R is easier to see in the haze. I would advise the aus TRACON to consider splitting the final approach control position during this time of day. And place runway 17L runway lights on full in these conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW RECEIVES AN RA WHILE ON A VISUAL APCH TO AUS.

Narrative: HAD JUST BEEN VECTORED ONTO AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R. RIGHT AFTER BEING CLRED FOR VISUAL (APPROX 2500 FT); WE RECEIVED A TCAS TA; WHICH ALERTED US TO A KING AIR AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK; 1-2 MI; SLIGHTLY LOW; WHICH WAS COMING TOWARD US. THE KING AIR WAS IN A SLIGHT L TURN AND IT APPEARED TO BE MANEUVERING TO LINE UP WITH OUR RWY. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; WE RECEIVED AN RA TELLING US TO 'ADJUST VERT SPD;' OUR CAPT RPTED TO ATC THAT WE HAD A TFC CONFLICT; AND THE KING AIR MADE A SHARP L TURN AWAY FROM US AND REALIGNED WITH RWY 17L. ATC CALLED THE KING AIR(ON THE SAME FREQ) AND ADVISED HIM THAT HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED RWY 17L. THE KING AIR RESPONDED WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'NO ONE GAVE ME A TURN.' BY THAT TIME; THE CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED AND WE CONTINUED TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN MY OPINION; 1 OF 2 THINGS WENT WRONG: EITHER THE KING AIR HAD IDENTED THE WRONG RWY OR ATC FORGOT ABOUT HIM ON THE BASE LEG. EITHER WAY; I FEEL THAT WE WERE EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AND DOING WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE PREPARED TO DO MORE TO AVOID THE TFC; BUT CONSIDERING THE WX (3000 FT OVCST) AND THE POSSIBILITY OF OTHER TFC IN THE AREA; I BELIEVE WE RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY. SUBSEQUENT TO THE INCIDENT; OUR CAPT CALLED TRACON; WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THEY INTENDED TO PURSUE ACTION AGAINST THE KING AIR PLT(S). IN A LATER CONVERSATION WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANTS; ONE OF THEM STATED THAT THEY HAD HEARD SOME OF OUR PAX TALKING ABOUT SEEING AN AIRPLANE CLOSE TO US. ALTHOUGH I FEEL WE DID A GOOD JOB THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT; I BELIEVE WE CAN NEVER BE TOO VIGILANT. IF I WERE MORE EXPERIENCED AND WE HAD NOT BEEN TRAINING; WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE CONFLICT SOONER AND MADE A CALL FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION SOONER. HOWEVER; I FEEL THAT THE OTHER OPERATOR AND/OR ATC COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE VIGILANT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 692590: ON THE LOC RWY 17R; AT APPROX 8 MI FINAL; I NOTED A TCAS TARGET CLOSING AT SAME ALT FROM THE E. VISIBILITY WAS HAZY. HOWEVER; I WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE TARGET VISUALLY. IT WAS A KING AIR; IN A TURN THAT WOULD HAVE IT ROLEL OUT ON OUR FINAL. THE TARGET WAS IN A SLOW DSCNT. THE TCAS ADVISED WE HOLD ALT. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TARGET; HOWEVER; I COULD NOT ASK APCH ABOUT HIM FOR SEVERAL SECONDS DUE TO RADIO CONGESTION. WHEN THE FREQ CLRED; I ASKED ABOUT THE KING AIR; WHICH ALMOST INSTANTLY WENT INTO A NEAR 90 DEG BANK TO THE L; AWAY FROM US. I WOULD ALSO ADVISE AUS TRACON TO CONSIDER PLACING RWY 17L RWY LIGHTS ON FULL INTENSITY DURING THESE CONDITIONS. IT MIGHT COMPENSATE FOR THE DIFFERENT CONTRASTS IN THE 2 RWYS; IE; RWY 17R IS MUCH LIGHTER IN COLOR THAN RWY 17L. THUS RWY 17R IS EASIER TO SEE IN THE HAZE. I WOULD ADVISE THE AUS TRACON TO CONSIDER SPLITTING THE FINAL APCH CTL POS DURING THIS TIME OF DAY. AND PLACE RWY 17L RWY LIGHTS ON FULL IN THESE CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.