Reported near miss loss of separation in A320 at 8000 ft and an MD80 climbing to 8000 ft applying visual separation with the A320 in reported IMC conditions.

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Attributes
ACN	389261
Time
Date	199712
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	389261
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were level at 8000 ft being vectored for an ILS to runway 9R. We got a TA from a climbing aircraft at our 10 O'clock position. I questioned ATC and was told that he was climbing to 8000 ft and maintaining visual separation with us. I replied that that was not possible as we were IMC. We then got an RA calling for an immediate descent. The other jet was now level, at our altitude and headed straight for us. The captain immediately disconnected the autoplt and initiated a descent. TCASII then went to 'increase descent' which the captain did. It was close. After landing we were given a phone number and a request to call the approach control manager on duty. He admitted that the controller screwed up and was concerned mainly about whether or not we were going to report the incident. If not for the TCASII, 300 people in the 2 planes plus who knows how many more on the ground in downtown miami would have died that night and their main concern was whether we were going to report it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED NEAR MISS LOSS OF SEPARATION IN A320 AT 8000 FT AND AN MD80 CLBING TO 8000 FT APPLYING VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE A320 IN RPTED IMC CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 9R. WE GOT A TA FROM A CLBING ACFT AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. I QUESTIONED ATC AND WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS CLBING TO 8000 FT AND MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION WITH US. I REPLIED THAT THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE AS WE WERE IMC. WE THEN GOT AN RA CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. THE OTHER JET WAS NOW LEVEL, AT OUR ALT AND HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A DSCNT. TCASII THEN WENT TO 'INCREASE DSCNT' WHICH THE CAPT DID. IT WAS CLOSE. AFTER LNDG WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND A REQUEST TO CALL THE APCH CTL MGR ON DUTY. HE ADMITTED THAT THE CTLR SCREWED UP AND WAS CONCERNED MAINLY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE GOING TO RPT THE INCIDENT. IF NOT FOR THE TCASII, 300 PEOPLE IN THE 2 PLANES PLUS WHO KNOWS HOW MANY MORE ON THE GND IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI WOULD HAVE DIED THAT NIGHT AND THEIR MAIN CONCERN WAS WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO RPT IT.

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.