Narrative:

On a scheduled flight den to phx, 4/88. On approach to phx the potential for a near miss occurred. Our flight was being vectored for a visual approach to landing at phx sky harbor airport. Our aircraft was following an air carrier a widebody transport and we were expecting a visual to runway 26R. We were vectored on to a downwind leg and then turned to 170 degrees at 5000'. On the opposing heading to us was another aircraft, an air carrier B large transport. We were told to maintain visual sep from the air carrier B large transport, however it appeared to the entire crew that we would be coming too close. We had not yet been cleared for the approach nor given an altitude or heading change. The captain elected to turn towards the airfield and descend to avoid the apparent conflict with the 2 aircraft closing rapidly. In the bank, because of my position (F/east) in the cockpit, I could not see how close we came to the air carrier B large transport aircraft. In my opinion, the controller either forgot or neglected to turn both aircraft prior to a hazardous situation developing. The sharp bank and descent appeared to be the most prudent action to take in this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBORNE CONFLICT BETWEEN 2 ACR-LGT'S ON OPPOSITE DIRECTION VECTORS TO FINAL APCH.

Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED FLT DEN TO PHX, 4/88. ON APCH TO PHX THE POTENTIAL FOR A NEAR MISS OCCURRED. OUR FLT WAS BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO LNDG AT PHX SKY HARBOR ARPT. OUR ACFT WAS FOLLOWING AN ACR A WDB AND WE WERE EXPECTING A VISUAL TO RWY 26R. WE WERE VECTORED ON TO A DOWNWIND LEG AND THEN TURNED TO 170 DEGS AT 5000'. ON THE OPPOSING HDG TO US WAS ANOTHER ACFT, AN ACR B LGT. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP FROM THE ACR B LGT, HOWEVER IT APPEARED TO THE ENTIRE CREW THAT WE WOULD BE COMING TOO CLOSE. WE HAD NOT YET BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH NOR GIVEN AN ALT OR HDG CHANGE. THE CAPT ELECTED TO TURN TOWARDS THE AIRFIELD AND DSND TO AVOID THE APPARENT CONFLICT WITH THE 2 ACFT CLOSING RAPIDLY. IN THE BANK, BECAUSE OF MY POS (F/E) IN THE COCKPIT, I COULD NOT SEE HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO THE ACR B LGT ACFT. IN MY OPINION, THE CTLR EITHER FORGOT OR NEGLECTED TO TURN BOTH ACFT PRIOR TO A HAZARDOUS SITUATION DEVELOPING. THE SHARP BANK AND DSCNT APPEARED TO BE THE MOST PRUDENT ACTION TO TAKE IN THIS SITUATION.

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