Narrative:

We were making an approach (radar vectors) from the southwest at cvg. We were first told to expect vectors for landing on runway 18R. This was later switched to runway 18L and we were vectored south of the airport with a left downwind on the east side of the airport. On downwind, descent and turn to base, there was an extreme amount of chatter on the radios, and several communications were stepped on by other persons. After being turned to a 270 degree heading on a 6 or 7 mi base, I had the runway in sight and would have been good for a visual approach. We tried to communicate this to the controller but were unable because of radio chatter. The controller told some aircraft that they would be following or abeam another aircraft on final but I did not get the full message because the frequency again was blocked. As I approached the centerline of runway 18L (still awaiting a turn onto final) the first officer and I were both intently scanning for other aircraft. Just about the time I crossed runway 18L centerline, knowing I must turn left back to the runway or be in the approach path of runway 18R, I caught the glimpse of an aircraft at 1 O'clock low. I had already started a turn back, so I continued with a hard left climbing turn back toward the airport. After we were well into the turn, the approach controller apologized for the late turn on. The rest of the approach and landing on runway 18L was uneventful. After arriving back in the terminal, I placed a phone call to approach control to discuss what had taken place. I talked to supervisor. He seemed to think the incident wasn't a big deal, and rather wanted to play it down since both aircraft managed to complete approachs to landing. I don't know if the pilots of the other aircraft saw us or took evasive action. I would be surprised if they did not. The only thing that I would do differently next time, would be to turn on to final a few seconds earlier (even without clearance) to avoid such a possible conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION HARD L TURN AND CLB TO AVOID XING TFC TO A PARALLEL RWY. MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS. FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: WE WERE MAKING AN APCH (RADAR VECTORS) FROM THE SW AT CVG. WE WERE FIRST TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS FOR LNDG ON RWY 18R. THIS WAS LATER SWITCHED TO RWY 18L AND WE WERE VECTORED S OF THE ARPT WITH A L DOWNWIND ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. ON DOWNWIND, DSCNT AND TURN TO BASE, THERE WAS AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF CHATTER ON THE RADIOS, AND SEVERAL COMS WERE STEPPED ON BY OTHER PERSONS. AFTER BEING TURNED TO A 270 DEG HDG ON A 6 OR 7 MI BASE, I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE CTLR BUT WERE UNABLE BECAUSE OF RADIO CHATTER. THE CTLR TOLD SOME ACFT THAT THEY WOULD BE FOLLOWING OR ABEAM ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL BUT I DID NOT GET THE FULL MESSAGE BECAUSE THE FREQ AGAIN WAS BLOCKED. AS I APCHED THE CTRLINE OF RWY 18L (STILL AWAITING A TURN ONTO FINAL) THE FO AND I WERE BOTH INTENTLY SCANNING FOR OTHER ACFT. JUST ABOUT THE TIME I CROSSED RWY 18L CTRLINE, KNOWING I MUST TURN L BACK TO THE RWY OR BE IN THE APCH PATH OF RWY 18R, I CAUGHT THE GLIMPSE OF AN ACFT AT 1 O'CLOCK LOW. I HAD ALREADY STARTED A TURN BACK, SO I CONTINUED WITH A HARD L CLBING TURN BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. AFTER WE WERE WELL INTO THE TURN, THE APCH CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR THE LATE TURN ON. THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 18L WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER ARRIVING BACK IN THE TERMINAL, I PLACED A PHONE CALL TO APCH CTL TO DISCUSS WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. I TALKED TO SUPVR. HE SEEMED TO THINK THE INCIDENT WASN'T A BIG DEAL, AND RATHER WANTED TO PLAY IT DOWN SINCE BOTH ACFT MANAGED TO COMPLETE APCHS TO LNDG. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PLTS OF THE OTHER ACFT SAW US OR TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THEY DID NOT. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME, WOULD BE TO TURN ON TO FINAL A FEW SECONDS EARLIER (EVEN WITHOUT CLRNC) TO AVOID SUCH A POSSIBLE CONFLICT.

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.