Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	300502
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sax
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000
ASRS Report	300502
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We're in cruise 12000 ft. We get an TCASII RA to 'descend now' at 2500 FPM. Apparently a VFR traffic aircraft descended down upon us - we never saw it. Even descending the VFR traffic came within 500 ft of us. We notified ny departure of the RA. They notified us of traffic after that - a little too late! The point is: ATC usually notifies us of VFR traffic when it's right on top of us - too late by then. They're so busy vectoring IFR traffic, aircraft separation is a bottom priority.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: WE'RE IN CRUISE 12000 FT. WE GET AN TCASII RA TO 'DSND NOW' AT 2500 FPM. APPARENTLY A VFR TFC ACFT DSNDED DOWN UPON US - WE NEVER SAW IT. EVEN DSNDING THE VFR TFC CAME WITHIN 500 FT OF US. WE NOTIFIED NY DEP OF THE RA. THEY NOTIFIED US OF TFC AFTER THAT - A LITTLE TOO LATE! THE POINT IS: ATC USUALLY NOTIFIES US OF VFR TFC WHEN IT'S RIGHT ON TOP OF US - TOO LATE BY THEN. THEY'RE SO BUSY VECTORING IFR TFC, ACFT SEPARATION IS A BOTTOM PRIORITY.

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.