A B737-700 flight crew complied with a TCAS RA when vectored in close proximity to a light aircraft ...

Attributes
ACN	884653
Time
Date	201004
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ORF.Airport
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 99
Person 2
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 235
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict

Narrative:

On vector to downwind for visual approach to runway 5 at orf at 5000 feet; heading 240 degrees; ATC called out traffic on the nose at two miles and 500 feet above. The first officer and I looked for traffic and very quickly got traffic alert from TCAS. We very quickly got a RA to descend. I quickly turned off the autopilot and auto-throttles and descended the aircraft until the RA stopped. We both saw the small general aviation aircraft very close off our left side and about 400 feet above our aircraft. It appeared to me that this aircraft was left wing down maneuvering to avoid us. I asked the ATC controller why he didn't vector us away or descend us sooner to avoid this situation which was uncomfortable. I thought ATC could have done a better job since there was very little; if any; traffic in the area or at the airport at that time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 Flight Crew complied with a TCAS RA when vectored in close proximity to a light aircraft in VMC daylight conditions.

Narrative: On vector to downwind for visual approach to Runway 5 at ORF at 5000 feet; heading 240 degrees; ATC called out traffic on the nose at two miles and 500 feet above. The First Officer and I looked for traffic and very quickly got traffic alert from TCAS. We very quickly got a RA to descend. I quickly turned off the autopilot and auto-throttles and descended the aircraft until the RA stopped. We both saw the small general aviation aircraft very close off our left side and about 400 feet above our aircraft. It appeared to me that this aircraft was left wing down maneuvering to avoid us. I asked the ATC Controller why he didn't vector us away or descend us sooner to avoid this situation which was uncomfortable. I thought ATC could have done a better job since there was very little; if any; traffic in the area or at the airport at that time.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A B737-700 flight crew complied with a TCAS RA when vectored in close proximity to a light aircraft in VMC daylight conditions.