Reporter concerned about traffic 1000' above him and one half mile on parallel approach to den.

Attributes
ACN	116513
Time
Date	198907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9120 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	116513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2500 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Another turbojet medium large transport xy and my aircraft were vectored to within about 1/2 mi of each other for visual apches to runways 17 at den with altitude separation (he was maintaining 10,000 MSL straight in and we were maintaining 9000 MSL on dog-leg to final. He apparently never saw us (according to later phone call to den approach control), and was vectored out of pattern. We had airport in sight but did not see him until we were about a mile apart, due to irregular nature of cloud bases. Simultaneous with his turn away from us as described above, we were turned for a dog-leg to final from other side as our vector was overshooting us for final. As soon as we started the turn we picked up other traffic ahead going to runway 17R and we were cleared to follow him on a visual to 17R. Apparently the plan was to send the xy to 17L and us xx to 17R. Although no conflict existed due to altitude separation, I think the plan was bad to start with. Had the xy misidentified the traffic I ended up following as being his traffic (which was apparently me) and then had he been cleared for an approach, it is very conceivable that a very close near miss (or radical evasive action) would have resulted. Even in cavu WX, I think safety would be greatly enhanced by standard lateral separation on parallel visual apches to runways as close together as those. Let's do it now, before an accident!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC 1000' ABOVE HIM AND ONE HALF MILE ON PARALLEL APCH TO DEN.

Narrative: ANOTHER TURBOJET MLG XY AND MY ACFT WERE VECTORED TO WITHIN ABOUT 1/2 MI OF EACH OTHER FOR VISUAL APCHES TO RWYS 17 AT DEN WITH ALT SEPARATION (HE WAS MAINTAINING 10,000 MSL STRAIGHT IN AND WE WERE MAINTAINING 9000 MSL ON DOG-LEG TO FINAL. HE APPARENTLY NEVER SAW US (ACCORDING TO LATER PHONE CALL TO DEN APCH CTL), AND WAS VECTORED OUT OF PATTERN. WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT BUT DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT A MILE APART, DUE TO IRREGULAR NATURE OF CLOUD BASES. SIMULTANEOUS WITH HIS TURN AWAY FROM US AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, WE WERE TURNED FOR A DOG-LEG TO FINAL FROM OTHER SIDE AS OUR VECTOR WAS OVERSHOOTING US FOR FINAL. AS SOON AS WE STARTED THE TURN WE PICKED UP OTHER TFC AHEAD GOING TO RWY 17R AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW HIM ON A VISUAL TO 17R. APPARENTLY THE PLAN WAS TO SEND THE XY TO 17L AND US XX TO 17R. ALTHOUGH NO CONFLICT EXISTED DUE TO ALT SEPARATION, I THINK THE PLAN WAS BAD TO START WITH. HAD THE XY MISIDENTIFIED THE TFC I ENDED UP FOLLOWING AS BEING HIS TFC (WHICH WAS APPARENTLY ME) AND THEN HAD HE BEEN CLRED FOR AN APCH, IT IS VERY CONCEIVABLE THAT A VERY CLOSE NEAR MISS (OR RADICAL EVASIVE ACTION) WOULD HAVE RESULTED. EVEN IN CAVU WX, I THINK SAFETY WOULD BE GREATLY ENHANCED BY STANDARD LATERAL SEPARATION ON PARALLEL VISUAL APCHES TO RWYS AS CLOSE TOGETHER AS THOSE. LET'S DO IT NOW, BEFORE AN ACCIDENT!

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.