Near midair collision between air carrier large transport and small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	179825
Time
Date	199105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17500 msl bound upper : 17800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	179825
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 75 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While descending to our cleared altitude of 11000', controller called and said he had VFR small aircraft traffic at 17500', less than 1 mi, 12 O'clock, coming straight at us. We were descending out of 17800'. Saw traffic less than 1/2 mi and 300' below. He passed 300' vertical and 50-100' horizontal off the right of our nose. He had started a slight turn when he flashed by. We probably had less than 2 seconds and could tell there would not be a collision and did not do an evasive maneuver. We should not have been cleared to 11000' with the conflicting traffic and/or been warned about him sooner, since not a lot can be done in 2 seconds to avoid another aircraft. It also did not sound like the controller was too busy. The small aircraft also was legal to be where he was, however. Possibly IFR flight may have prevented this occurrence. Also, our aircraft unfortunately was not TCAS equipped. We definitely would have gotten a climb command.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN ACR LGT AND SMA.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TO OUR CLRED ALT OF 11000', CTLR CALLED AND SAID HE HAD VFR SMA TFC AT 17500', LESS THAN 1 MI, 12 O'CLOCK, COMING STRAIGHT AT US. WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF 17800'. SAW TFC LESS THAN 1/2 MI AND 300' BELOW. HE PASSED 300' VERT AND 50-100' HORIZ OFF THE RIGHT OF OUR NOSE. HE HAD STARTED A SLIGHT TURN WHEN HE FLASHED BY. WE PROBABLY HAD LESS THAN 2 SECS AND COULD TELL THERE WOULD NOT BE A COLLISION AND DID NOT DO AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLRED TO 11000' WITH THE CONFLICTING TFC AND/OR BEEN WARNED ABOUT HIM SOONER, SINCE NOT A LOT CAN BE DONE IN 2 SECS TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT. IT ALSO DID NOT SOUND LIKE THE CTLR WAS TOO BUSY. THE SMA ALSO WAS LEGAL TO BE WHERE HE WAS, HOWEVER. POSSIBLY IFR FLT MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. ALSO, OUR ACFT UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT TCAS EQUIPPED. WE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A CLB COMMAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.