Narrative:

En route from west palm beach to tamiami, fl, approach control descended us from 8000 to 2000', assigned us 270 degree heading and 170 KTS. When the 180 degree abeam position passed our left side, we told approach we had the airport in sight. After several follow-up calls and several more miles we learned that we were following an small aircraft Y on the ILS. We were told we would be turned in when we had enough sep. At 12 NM we were turned to 180 degree heading and then 120 degrees to intercept the localizer. At 11 NM it started coming alive and we were told to contact tower. Before we could check in with tower, the first officer and I saw an aircraft at our altitude in the 1 O'clock position, about 1 mi. The closure rate was so fast that I quickly realized the aircraft was coming at us. I turned abruptly to the left. The other aircraft then turned to his left. The first officer said he saw a second small aircraft, not as close as the first, and further below us. The situation could have been avoided if mia approach control had coordinated a handoff with tower when we first called airport in sight. We would have had miles of sep, the lead position and speed on small aircraft Y to have completed the landing and taxied clear before he would have reached the marker. The problem was compounded when we were driven 12 NM away from the airport control area at 2000' with all the smaller and slower traffic across the everglades. Further, the 2 aircraft we missed were not communicating with the tower or approach control and blindly crossed the final approach course of ILS to 9R. Finally, approach control should not have dumped us off so quickly to tower, until we were within tower's control space and established on the localizer. Supplemental information from acn 109031: as the localizer came alive we were advised to contact the tower, and advised of 1 target at 1-2 O'clock. But in actuality, there was 1 target 12 O'clock and 1 at 2 O'clock, about 1500-2000'. At this time the captain, realizing the situation, deviated to the left along with the oncoming traffic deviating to his left. As both aircraft passed they were positively idented as small aircraft's by me. I feel this situation could have been avoided if approach control better coordinated with the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER COURSE, AN LTT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID 2 SMA'S.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM WEST PALM BEACH TO TAMIAMI, FL, APCH CTL DSNDED US FROM 8000 TO 2000', ASSIGNED US 270 DEG HDG AND 170 KTS. WHEN THE 180 DEG ABEAM POS PASSED OUR LEFT SIDE, WE TOLD APCH WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL FOLLOW-UP CALLS AND SEVERAL MORE MILES WE LEARNED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING AN SMA Y ON THE ILS. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD BE TURNED IN WHEN WE HAD ENOUGH SEP. AT 12 NM WE WERE TURNED TO 180 DEG HDG AND THEN 120 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. AT 11 NM IT STARTED COMING ALIVE AND WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. BEFORE WE COULD CHK IN WITH TWR, THE F/O AND I SAW AN ACFT AT OUR ALT IN THE 1 O'CLOCK POS, ABOUT 1 MI. THE CLOSURE RATE WAS SO FAST THAT I QUICKLY REALIZED THE ACFT WAS COMING AT US. I TURNED ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT. THE OTHER ACFT THEN TURNED TO HIS LEFT. THE F/O SAID HE SAW A SECOND SMA, NOT AS CLOSE AS THE FIRST, AND FURTHER BELOW US. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF MIA APCH CTL HAD COORDINATED A HDOF WITH TWR WHEN WE FIRST CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT. WE WOULD HAVE HAD MILES OF SEP, THE LEAD POS AND SPD ON SMA Y TO HAVE COMPLETED THE LNDG AND TAXIED CLR BEFORE HE WOULD HAVE REACHED THE MARKER. THE PROB WAS COMPOUNDED WHEN WE WERE DRIVEN 12 NM AWAY FROM THE ARPT CTL AREA AT 2000' WITH ALL THE SMALLER AND SLOWER TFC ACROSS THE EVERGLADES. FURTHER, THE 2 ACFT WE MISSED WERE NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR OR APCH CTL AND BLINDLY CROSSED THE FINAL APCH COURSE OF ILS TO 9R. FINALLY, APCH CTL SHOULD NOT HAVE DUMPED US OFF SO QUICKLY TO TWR, UNTIL WE WERE WITHIN TWR'S CTL SPACE AND ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 109031: AS THE LOC CAME ALIVE WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE TWR, AND ADVISED OF 1 TARGET AT 1-2 O'CLOCK. BUT IN ACTUALITY, THERE WAS 1 TARGET 12 O'CLOCK AND 1 AT 2 O'CLOCK, ABOUT 1500-2000'. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT, REALIZING THE SITUATION, DEVIATED TO THE LEFT ALONG WITH THE ONCOMING TFC DEVIATING TO HIS LEFT. AS BOTH ACFT PASSED THEY WERE POSITIVELY IDENTED AS SMA'S BY ME. I FEEL THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF APCH CTL BETTER COORDINATED WITH THE TWR.

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.