Narrative:

While we were being vectored on the above stated night, to ewr runway 22L, we were on an assigned heading of approximately 260 degrees. Ny approach instructed us to turn left to a heading of 100 degrees. When I looked to clear the area, I was confronted with what appeared to be a large aircraft at our altitude heading directly for us. I instructed my first officer to get immediate verification as to what this aircraft was doing at our altitude. My first officer tried to contact approach but was blocked by another radio call. At this time, I began a descent to avoid the imminent collision that we were confronted by. The approaching aircraft appeared to be less than a quarter mi and closing fast, at the time of the altitude deviation. The total deviation was approximately 400 ft. Throughout the entire situation, we were in and out of a ragged thin layer of clouds with tops of approximately 3500 ft. My first officer immediately tried again to get clarification as to what the aircraft was doing. The controller told us no other aircraft was within 2000 ft of our altitude. At this time, we were able to determine what appeared to be an aircraft approaching us was, in reality, the lights of 2 aircraft diverging while being vectored into either jfk or lga. We immediately ascended back to our assigned altitude. The entire deviation took place in approximately 30 seconds. I elected to descend because we could not get immediate verification as to what the other aircraft was doing at our altitude. One of my initial thoughts was that the other aircraft, which appeared to be a large or heavy aircraft should be picking us up on TCASII. My afterthought as to how this situation could have been prevented is that all aircraft used in air carrier operation should be equipped with TCASII. This would have provided me with a means to make an immediate determination as to whether the apparent aircraft presented any danger to the aircraft I was flying. The company I fly for is making provisions to install TCASII on all our aircraft in time to comply with the FARS. I would like to emphasize that the illusion that we saw was extremely realistic looking, and that my actions in the future would be the same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT DSNDS FROM ASSIGNED ALT BECAUSE OF A PERCEIVED CONFLICT.

Narrative: WHILE WE WERE BEING VECTORED ON THE ABOVE STATED NIGHT, TO EWR RWY 22L, WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF APPROX 260 DEGS. NY APCH INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L TO A HDG OF 100 DEGS. WHEN I LOOKED TO CLR THE AREA, I WAS CONFRONTED WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LARGE ACFT AT OUR ALT HDG DIRECTLY FOR US. I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO GET IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION AS TO WHAT THIS ACFT WAS DOING AT OUR ALT. MY FO TRIED TO CONTACT APCH BUT WAS BLOCKED BY ANOTHER RADIO CALL. AT THIS TIME, I BEGAN A DSCNT TO AVOID THE IMMINENT COLLISION THAT WE WERE CONFRONTED BY. THE APCHING ACFT APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN A QUARTER MI AND CLOSING FAST, AT THE TIME OF THE ALTDEV. THE TOTAL DEV WAS APPROX 400 FT. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SIT, WE WERE IN AND OUT OF A RAGGED THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS WITH TOPS OF APPROX 3500 FT. MY FO IMMEDIATELY TRIED AGAIN TO GET CLARIFICATION AS TO WHAT THE ACFT WAS DOING. THE CTLR TOLD US NO OTHER ACFT WAS WITHIN 2000 FT OF OUR ALT. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ACFT APCHING US WAS, IN REALITY, THE LIGHTS OF 2 ACFT DIVERGING WHILE BEING VECTORED INTO EITHER JFK OR LGA. WE IMMEDIATELY ASCENDED BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE ENTIRE DEV TOOK PLACE IN APPROX 30 SECONDS. I ELECTED TO DSND BECAUSE WE COULD NOT GET IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION AS TO WHAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS DOING AT OUR ALT. ONE OF MY INITIAL THOUGHTS WAS THAT THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH APPEARED TO BE A LARGE OR HVY ACFT SHOULD BE PICKING US UP ON TCASII. MY AFTERTHOUGHT AS TO HOW THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IS THAT ALL ACFT USED IN ACR OP SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH TCASII. THIS WOULD HAVE PROVIDED ME WITH A MEANS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER THE APPARENT ACFT PRESENTED ANY DANGER TO THE ACFT I WAS FLYING. THE COMPANY I FLY FOR IS MAKING PROVISIONS TO INSTALL TCASII ON ALL OUR ACFT IN TIME TO COMPLY WITH THE FARS. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE ILLUSION THAT WE SAW WAS EXTREMELY REALISTIC LOOKING, AND THAT MY ACTIONS IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE THE SAME.

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.