Narrative:

We were about 18 NM ssw of runway 36L at clt--getting a radar vector for visibility (ILS 36L). Descending through about 4500', approach control called out traffic, 'type and altitude unknown.' I saw an aircraft about in the area reporter (my first officer, who was flying, did not see the aircraft). I told approach control that I saw the aircraft. I confirmed the clock position, approximately distance and direction--and approach control said that that was him. We continued our descent to the assigned altitude of 3000'. As we were going through 3500' my first officer and I saw a single engine small aircraft at our 10 O'clock position, 1/2 mi, eastbound at about 3000' (we were on assigned heading 050 degrees). The first officer immediately pulled up and added power. I don't think we came any closer than 500' vertical--but we would have come a lot closer had we not made an abrupt pull up. The WX was clear. Visibility was good. We were looking outside the aircraft for traffic. We had radar and approach control helping out. There is an arsa at clt--but we were just outside of it. We may have been a little below a normal descent/profile, but not by more than 500' for a straight-in approach. With all of this, we still came close. This system worked this time, but barely. We need to have any aircraft in controled airspace to have a transponder with encoder and we need TCAS. We cannot depend entirely on see and avoid. There were numerous aircraft out there that we saw. It's the one we didn't see that we almost hit. Supplemental information from acn 111517: after landing, we wondered why we were given an altitude that could leave us in a place below the floor of the arsa. This happens a lot at many airports. We are waiting for TCAS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURRED BETWEEN REPORTER ACFT AND SMA OTHER THAN ACFT FIRST IDENTIFIED BY ATC AS POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TRAFFIC.

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT 18 NM SSW OF RWY 36L AT CLT--GETTING A RADAR VECTOR FOR VIS (ILS 36L). DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 4500', APCH CTL CALLED OUT TFC, 'TYPE AND ALT UNKNOWN.' I SAW AN ACFT ABOUT IN THE AREA RPTR (MY F/O, WHO WAS FLYING, DID NOT SEE THE ACFT). I TOLD APCH CTL THAT I SAW THE ACFT. I CONFIRMED THE CLOCK POS, APPROX DISTANCE AND DIRECTION--AND APCH CTL SAID THAT THAT WAS HIM. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000'. AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH 3500' MY F/O AND I SAW A SINGLE ENG SMA AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS, 1/2 MI, EBND AT ABOUT 3000' (WE WERE ON ASSIGNED HDG 050 DEGS). THE F/O IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP AND ADDED PWR. I DON'T THINK WE CAME ANY CLOSER THAN 500' VERT--BUT WE WOULD HAVE COME A LOT CLOSER HAD WE NOT MADE AN ABRUPT PULL UP. THE WX WAS CLEAR. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. WE WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR TFC. WE HAD RADAR AND APCH CTL HELPING OUT. THERE IS AN ARSA AT CLT--BUT WE WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF IT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BELOW A NORMAL DSCNT/PROFILE, BUT NOT BY MORE THAN 500' FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. WITH ALL OF THIS, WE STILL CAME CLOSE. THIS SYS WORKED THIS TIME, BUT BARELY. WE NEED TO HAVE ANY ACFT IN CTLED AIRSPACE TO HAVE A XPONDER WITH ENCODER AND WE NEED TCAS. WE CANNOT DEPEND ENTIRELY ON SEE AND AVOID. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT OUT THERE THAT WE SAW. IT'S THE ONE WE DIDN'T SEE THAT WE ALMOST HIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 111517: AFTER LNDG, WE WONDERED WHY WE WERE GIVEN AN ALT THAT COULD LEAVE US IN A PLACE BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE ARSA. THIS HAPPENS A LOT AT MANY ARPTS. WE ARE WAITING FOR TCAS.

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.