Air carrier flight crew reports TCAS RA and near midair collision with light twin approaching dnw at...

Attributes
ACN	809371
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jac.airport
State Reference	WY
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 4300
ASRS Report	809371
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	809375
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	unspecified : 400
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were approaching dnw out of 16000 ft. I could see the field. ZLC asked us if we wanted a visual approach or an ILS. We told him we request a visual and the field was in sight. We were cleared to 12000 ft. We were informed that another aircraft was approaching from the south for a visual approach so for sequencing we were cleared dnw direct quirt direct jac maintain 12000 ft minimum altitude. On the approach chart was 11000 ft and I could see we were getting high so I asked for lower. We were told to maintain 12000 ft and ZLC pointed out traffic a twin engine cessna at 10 O'clock position low. We started looking as the plane was less than 5 mi and we could not see him. The target started to converge and was climbing. We received a TA and could see the traffic was less than 300 ft below and climbing. I turned right and pushed the nose over as the traffic target showed 00 and as I pushed over the target turned red and the controller said they had a collision alert. I descended to 11600 ft to avoid and as I pushed over we got a flap overspd as we were at 210 KTS before the maneuver. We reached approximately 235 KTS in the overspd. I asked for lower and ATC told us 12000 ft was the MVA. So I climbed back to 12000 ft and was cleared the visual as we were over quirt. We were then told the twin cessna had us in sight. We never did see the aircraft and he was talking to jac tower. If we had just been cleared the visual; we could have provided the separation needed on our own rather than fly a prescribed course and altitude for sequencing; as we were VMC the whole time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW REPORTS TCAS RA AND NMAC WITH LIGHT TWIN APPROACHING DNW AT 12000 FEET. ACR IS ARRIVING AND TWIN IS DEPARTING JAC USING THE DNW 267 DEGREE RADIAL.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING DNW OUT OF 16000 FT. I COULD SEE THE FIELD. ZLC ASKED US IF WE WANTED A VISUAL APCH OR AN ILS. WE TOLD HIM WE REQUEST A VISUAL AND THE FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. WE WERE CLRED TO 12000 FT. WE WERE INFORMED THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS APCHING FROM THE S FOR A VISUAL APCH SO FOR SEQUENCING WE WERE CLRED DNW DIRECT QUIRT DIRECT JAC MAINTAIN 12000 FT MINIMUM ALT. ON THE APCH CHART WAS 11000 FT AND I COULD SEE WE WERE GETTING HIGH SO I ASKED FOR LOWER. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT AND ZLC POINTED OUT TFC A TWIN ENG CESSNA AT 10 O'CLOCK POS LOW. WE STARTED LOOKING AS THE PLANE WAS LESS THAN 5 MI AND WE COULD NOT SEE HIM. THE TARGET STARTED TO CONVERGE AND WAS CLBING. WE RECEIVED A TA AND COULD SEE THE TFC WAS LESS THAN 300 FT BELOW AND CLBING. I TURNED R AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AS THE TFC TARGET SHOWED 00 AND AS I PUSHED OVER THE TARGET TURNED RED AND THE CTLR SAID THEY HAD A COLLISION ALERT. I DSNDED TO 11600 FT TO AVOID AND AS I PUSHED OVER WE GOT A FLAP OVERSPD AS WE WERE AT 210 KTS BEFORE THE MANEUVER. WE REACHED APPROX 235 KTS IN THE OVERSPD. I ASKED FOR LOWER AND ATC TOLD US 12000 FT WAS THE MVA. SO I CLBED BACK TO 12000 FT AND WAS CLRED THE VISUAL AS WE WERE OVER QUIRT. WE WERE THEN TOLD THE TWIN CESSNA HAD US IN SIGHT. WE NEVER DID SEE THE ACFT AND HE WAS TALKING TO JAC TWR. IF WE HAD JUST BEEN CLRED THE VISUAL; WE COULD HAVE PROVIDED THE SEPARATION NEEDED ON OUR OWN RATHER THAN FLY A PRESCRIBED COURSE AND ALT FOR SEQUENCING; AS WE WERE VMC THE WHOLE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Air carrier flight crew reports TCAS RA and near midair collision with light twin approaching dnw at 12000 feet. Air carrier is arriving and twin is departing jac using the dnw 267 degree radial.