Narrative:

I was the aircraft commander of aircraft X engaged in an airborne check of runway 27L ILS system. We were about 12 southeast of phl on base leg. ATC pointed out traffic (air carrier Y) 12 O'clock and 5 or 6 mi, well above us. We identify him and said we would maintain visual sep. Afterward, air carrier Y was cleared for a visual approach to runway 27R. Air carrier Y not only went south of his centerline to 27R, he also went well south of our centerline of 27L and went behind us, causing us to lose sight of him. In our operation, we switch pilot seats every leg and I was in the copilot seat. At the time air carrier Y went south of us, we were well in our turn to final about 8 mi from the runway. My copilot was in the left seat and was the only one able to watch the situation progress. We were pointed out as traffic to air carrier Y, but I don't believe he saw us. We accelerated at some point to try to space ourselves because air carrier Y was now on an approximately 30 degree dogleg final south of our centerline and it was evident he would cross again to get back to his centerline (27R). The next time I was able to visual air carrier Y, he was 9 O'clock one quarter mi and approximately 500' above us. We passed right under him and at that time, he questioned ATC. ATC said that we were the traffic that he pointed out and that we were maintaining visual sep on him. He later called ATC and called my office in my absence. No evasive action was taken by my copilot and none by air carrier Y. I do not believe any was required, but had I been flying the left seat and able to see him, we would not have been as close based on my judgement and decisions. Perhaps due to the size of the heavy. It was hard to judge the speed. I feel that they look slow airborne since I don't see them that often. In the future, perhaps ATC can continue to point out traffic more often, especially if the targets are merging and descending through the other's final approach course. Also, I will probably never depend on my copilot's judgement as heavily as I did that day. Even though they (new coplts) are well qualified and type rated, they are still training up to the journeyman level of an aircraft commander in our mission, for 2 yrs or more.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX BETWEEN FAA FLT CHECK ACFT AND ACR MAKING PARALLEL VISUAL APCH AT PHL. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS THE ACFT COMMANDER OF ACFT X ENGAGED IN AN AIRBORNE CHK OF RWY 27L ILS SYS. WE WERE ABOUT 12 SE OF PHL ON BASE LEG. ATC POINTED OUT TFC (ACR Y) 12 O'CLOCK AND 5 OR 6 MI, WELL ABOVE US. WE IDENT HIM AND SAID WE WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP. AFTERWARD, ACR Y WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R. ACR Y NOT ONLY WENT S OF HIS CENTERLINE TO 27R, HE ALSO WENT WELL S OF OUR CENTERLINE OF 27L AND WENT BEHIND US, CAUSING US TO LOSE SIGHT OF HIM. IN OUR OPERATION, WE SWITCH PLT SEATS EVERY LEG AND I WAS IN THE COPLT SEAT. AT THE TIME ACR Y WENT S OF US, WE WERE WELL IN OUR TURN TO FINAL ABOUT 8 MI FROM THE RWY. MY COPLT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND WAS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO WATCH THE SITUATION PROGRESS. WE WERE POINTED OUT AS TFC TO ACR Y, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE HE SAW US. WE ACCELERATED AT SOME POINT TO TRY TO SPACE OURSELVES BECAUSE ACR Y WAS NOW ON AN APPROX 30 DEG DOGLEG FINAL S OF OUR CENTERLINE AND IT WAS EVIDENT HE WOULD CROSS AGAIN TO GET BACK TO HIS CENTERLINE (27R). THE NEXT TIME I WAS ABLE TO VISUAL ACR Y, HE WAS 9 O'CLOCK ONE QUARTER MI AND APPROX 500' ABOVE US. WE PASSED RIGHT UNDER HIM AND AT THAT TIME, HE QUESTIONED ATC. ATC SAID THAT WE WERE THE TFC THAT HE POINTED OUT AND THAT WE WERE MAINTAINING VISUAL SEP ON HIM. HE LATER CALLED ATC AND CALLED MY OFFICE IN MY ABSENCE. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY MY COPLT AND NONE BY ACR Y. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY WAS REQUIRED, BUT HAD I BEEN FLYING THE LEFT SEAT AND ABLE TO SEE HIM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS CLOSE BASED ON MY JUDGEMENT AND DECISIONS. PERHAPS DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE HEAVY. IT WAS HARD TO JUDGE THE SPEED. I FEEL THAT THEY LOOK SLOW AIRBORNE SINCE I DON'T SEE THEM THAT OFTEN. IN THE FUTURE, PERHAPS ATC CAN CONTINUE TO POINT OUT TFC MORE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY IF THE TARGETS ARE MERGING AND DSNDING THROUGH THE OTHER'S FINAL APCH COURSE. ALSO, I WILL PROBABLY NEVER DEPEND ON MY COPLT'S JUDGEMENT AS HEAVILY AS I DID THAT DAY. EVEN THOUGH THEY (NEW COPLTS) ARE WELL QUALIFIED AND TYPE RATED, THEY ARE STILL TRNING UP TO THE JOURNEYMAN LEVEL OF AN ACFT COMMANDER IN OUR MISSION, FOR 2 YRS OR MORE.

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.