Narrative:

On approach to san on baret 4 arrival and descending through approximately 13000 ft, saw a bizjet at 1:30 O'clock position in steep left turn coming at us at our altitude. Traffic passed on our right going in opposite direction. Estimate distance at 300-500 ft horizontally. First officer was at controls with autoplt on and we took no evasive action. There was no time. Our heading was approximately 255 degrees magnetic and conflicting traffic appeared out of the setting sun. Traffic appeared to be in a 60-70 degree left bank to avoid collision. We had no ATC advisory and our TCASII was inoperative. ZLA controller answered my report of a near miss by saying radar coverage was poor in that area and the aircraft was probably a united states customs bizjet maneuvering in that area. When on ground I contacted ZLA supervisor and gave her an oral report of our near miss. She followed up with 2 calls to my hotel confirming the subject aircraft was a united states customs cessna citation and later that she had talked to the pilot who apparently admitted a close encounter. Center supervisor also indicated that the citation was on a discrete transponder code, but was not known or seen by the ATC controller. I am aware of the importance of catching smugglers but we cannot afford a midair with any aircraft. I am grateful the citation pilot saw us in time to react (we had landing lights on) and I hope some measures can be taken to coordinate customs flts with ATC for positive radar separation. This incident took place on a published arrival! As to our role, it was too late to evade due to the late visual contact caused by the glare of the setting sun. There must be some better way of controling these border flts into controled airspace.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT HAS NMAC WITH CUSTOMS ACFT WHILE ON ARR RTE.

Narrative: ON APCH TO SAN ON BARET 4 ARR AND DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 13000 FT, SAW A BIZJET AT 1:30 O'CLOCK POS IN STEEP L TURN COMING AT US AT OUR ALT. TFC PASSED ON OUR R GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. ESTIMATE DISTANCE AT 300-500 FT HORIZLY. FO WAS AT CTLS WITH AUTOPLT ON AND WE TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION. THERE WAS NO TIME. OUR HDG WAS APPROX 255 DEGS MAGNETIC AND CONFLICTING TFC APPEARED OUT OF THE SETTING SUN. TFC APPEARED TO BE IN A 60-70 DEG L BANK TO AVOID COLLISION. WE HAD NO ATC ADVISORY AND OUR TCASII WAS INOP. ZLA CTLR ANSWERED MY RPT OF A NEAR MISS BY SAYING RADAR COVERAGE WAS POOR IN THAT AREA AND THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY A UNITED STATES CUSTOMS BIZJET MANEUVERING IN THAT AREA. WHEN ON GND I CONTACTED ZLA SUPVR AND GAVE HER AN ORAL RPT OF OUR NEAR MISS. SHE FOLLOWED UP WITH 2 CALLS TO MY HOTEL CONFIRMING THE SUBJECT ACFT WAS A UNITED STATES CUSTOMS CESSNA CITATION AND LATER THAT SHE HAD TALKED TO THE PLT WHO APPARENTLY ADMITTED A CLOSE ENCOUNTER. CTR SUPVR ALSO INDICATED THAT THE CITATION WAS ON A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE, BUT WAS NOT KNOWN OR SEEN BY THE ATC CTLR. I AM AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CATCHING SMUGGLERS BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD A MIDAIR WITH ANY ACFT. I AM GRATEFUL THE CITATION PLT SAW US IN TIME TO REACT (WE HAD LNDG LIGHTS ON) AND I HOPE SOME MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO COORDINATE CUSTOMS FLTS WITH ATC FOR POSITIVE RADAR SEPARATION. THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON A PUBLISHED ARR! AS TO OUR ROLE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO EVADE DUE TO THE LATE VISUAL CONTACT CAUSED BY THE GLARE OF THE SETTING SUN. THERE MUST BE SOME BETTER WAY OF CTLING THESE BORDER FLTS INTO CTLED AIRSPACE.

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.