Near midair collision reduced to potential conflict by flight crew response in evasive action turn.

Attributes
ACN	265159
Time
Date	199402
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lhs
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 42501 flight time type : 3250
ASRS Report	265159
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Traffic was issued to my first officer and I. We saw another aircraft that we confused with the 'real' traffic. After we realized that the 'false' traffic would be no factor we looked up and to the left and noticed a small single engine cessna descending through our altitude about 3000 ft in front of us. I banked left to avoid a collision. We notified ATC that we were maneuvering to avoid traffic. I cannot come up with any suggestions to help this occurrence from happening again, except to keep scanning even when a pilot believes the traffic issued is in sight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC REDUCED TO POTENTIAL CONFLICT BY FLC RESPONSE IN EVASIVE ACTION TURN.

Narrative: TFC WAS ISSUED TO MY FO AND I. WE SAW ANOTHER ACFT THAT WE CONFUSED WITH THE 'REAL' TFC. AFTER WE REALIZED THAT THE 'FALSE' TFC WOULD BE NO FACTOR WE LOOKED UP AND TO THE L AND NOTICED A SMALL SINGLE ENG CESSNA DSNDING THROUGH OUR ALT ABOUT 3000 FT IN FRONT OF US. I BANKED L TO AVOID A COLLISION. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE MANEUVERING TO AVOID TFC. I CANNOT COME UP WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS TO HELP THIS OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, EXCEPT TO KEEP SCANNING EVEN WHEN A PLT BELIEVES THE TFC ISSUED IS IN SIGHT.

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.