Narrative:

We were on downwind for a visual approach to runway 9. We had the correct localizer frequency 110.9 set and inbound course 084 degrees set. Approach pointed out traffic for runway 8. We saw him another large transport and I acknowledged that to approach. He then cleared us for a visual to 9. That aircraft appeared to me to already be on final. We were behind that aircraft and going opposite directions when my copilot started his 180 degree turn to final. Through the turn I could not see the other aircraft because our bank angle (20 degrees) blocked my view until he rolled out of the turn and I saw the other aircraft in front of us and slightly below. He first came in view from under the nose and the left side of my glare shield. I quickly advised the first officer so he would be aware. There was no need for evasive action on our part and the pilots of the other aircraft never saw us, so they took no evasion either. Approach and or tower should monitor these a little closer until it is clear that the aircraft are properly aligned, not drifting or mistakenly identing the wrong runway. Most importantly: my aircraft was equipped with TCASII and it did not give us any warning until after I had seen the other aircraft and advised. It then gave us a 'stop descent' order (at that point we were not descending). This added mildly to the confusion. My point is, we are being told that this equipment is accurate and it did nothing. It is only my supposition that it did not read or recognize a conflict while we were in the turn. The warnings came only after the wings of my aircraft were approximately level. So far in my experience with TCASII, I have had false warnings when nothing was there, instructions to dive while on parallel ILS approachs (not this incident) and in this case no warning at all when there was a danger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 ACR LGT ACFT IN TFC PATTERN FOR IAH LNDG TO THE E.

Narrative: WE WERE ON DOWNWIND FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9. WE HAD THE CORRECT LOC FREQ 110.9 SET AND INBOUND COURSE 084 DEGS SET. APCH POINTED OUT TFC FOR RWY 8. WE SAW HIM ANOTHER LGT AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TO APCH. HE THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO 9. THAT ACFT APPEARED TO ME TO ALREADY BE ON FINAL. WE WERE BEHIND THAT ACFT AND GOING OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS WHEN MY COPLT STARTED HIS 180 DEG TURN TO FINAL. THROUGH THE TURN I COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT BECAUSE OUR BANK ANGLE (20 DEGS) BLOCKED MY VIEW UNTIL HE ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN AND I SAW THE OTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US AND SLIGHTLY BELOW. HE FIRST CAME IN VIEW FROM UNDER THE NOSE AND THE L SIDE OF MY GLARE SHIELD. I QUICKLY ADVISED THE FO SO HE WOULD BE AWARE. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR EVASIVE ACTION ON OUR PART AND THE PLTS OF THE OTHER ACFT NEVER SAW US, SO THEY TOOK NO EVASION EITHER. APCH AND OR TWR SHOULD MONITOR THESE A LITTLE CLOSER UNTIL IT IS CLR THAT THE ACFT ARE PROPERLY ALIGNED, NOT DRIFTING OR MISTAKENLY IDENTING THE WRONG RWY. MOST IMPORTANTLY: MY ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH TCASII AND IT DID NOT GIVE US ANY WARNING UNTIL AFTER I HAD SEEN THE OTHER ACFT AND ADVISED. IT THEN GAVE US A 'STOP DSCNT' ORDER (AT THAT POINT WE WERE NOT DSNDING). THIS ADDED MILDLY TO THE CONFUSION. MY POINT IS, WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THIS EQUIP IS ACCURATE AND IT DID NOTHING. IT IS ONLY MY SUPPOSITION THAT IT DID NOT READ OR RECOGNIZE A CONFLICT WHILE WE WERE IN THE TURN. THE WARNINGS CAME ONLY AFTER THE WINGS OF MY ACFT WERE APPROX LEVEL. SO FAR IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH TCASII, I HAVE HAD FALSE WARNINGS WHEN NOTHING WAS THERE, INSTRUCTIONS TO DIVE WHILE ON PARALLEL ILS APCHS (NOT THIS INCIDENT) AND IN THIS CASE NO WARNING AT ALL WHEN THERE WAS A DANGER.

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.