Narrative:

While on the arlin 9 arrival into phx, the TRACON controller reported traffic that was climbing outbound from phx on their way towards elp. He (the controller) advised us that it was a B737 operated by Y airlines. The PNF acknowledged that we were looking for the traffic and that they were not in sight. At that particular time, we were descending to an altitude of 9000 ft MSL. Sometime before reaching 9000 ft, the controller gave us a heading of 090 degrees and an altitude of 7000 ft MSL. Again he reported the climbing traffic and asked if they were in sight. The PNF still reported that the Y airline aircraft was not in sight. Then the controller went back to giving directions to other local traffic. In the meantime, the PNF spotted the B737 and was going to report the traffic in sight, but the controller was very busy directing other aircraft on the frequency. As we leveled at 7000 ft, the controller reported to the Y aircraft that the X airliner (us) had failed to level off at 9000 ft MSL and was now at their 12 O'clock, same altitude, moving right to left. Y airlines reported us in sight, then the controller gave them a right climbing turn to 9000 ft and directed us (X aircraft) to fly a heading of 050 degrees. TCASII sounded 'traffic, traffic' (TA). I looked at the TCASII indicator (which was on the 5 mi range) and saw the Y aircraft displayed approximately at the 8:30 O'clock position, somewhere around 3 mi, 500 ft above us and climbing. At no time was there an RA. The PNF called the traffic in sight to the controller, plus stating that he (the controller) had cleared us to 7000 ft on a heading of 090 degrees. Then she asked if he wanted us to call him when we got on the ground. The controller's response was 'no, that isn't necessary.' the flight continued and was passed onto another controller, landing without further incident. When we walked into Y airlines flight operations (phx) the captain called phx TRACON. Whomever she talked with, told her that 'we' were off the hook, because it was his (the controller's ) mistake. The captain made it clear that the call was not to place blame on anyone, nor was it to 'get us off the hook' with ATC, but to make sure that if anything needed to be explained or done, she was on the phone to address those concerns. Nothing else was discussed and the conversation ended. In retrospect, the unusual heading of 090 along with the altitude 7000 ft MSL, should have been challenged. Those 2 items are far from being normal when arriving on the arlin 9 arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A POTENTIAL CONFLICT EXISTED BTWN 2 B737'S WHEN THE APCH CTLR GIVES AN ERRONEOUS CLRNC TO ACR X, THINKING THAT THIS NEW CLRNC WAS GOING TO PROVIDE SEPARATION.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE ARLIN 9 ARR INTO PHX, THE TRACON CTLR RPTED TFC THAT WAS CLBING OUTBOUND FROM PHX ON THEIR WAY TOWARDS ELP. HE (THE CTLR) ADVISED US THAT IT WAS A B737 OPERATED BY Y AIRLINES. THE PNF ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND THAT THEY WERE NOT IN SIGHT. AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, WE WERE DSNDING TO AN ALT OF 9000 FT MSL. SOMETIME BEFORE REACHING 9000 FT, THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND AN ALT OF 7000 FT MSL. AGAIN HE RPTED THE CLBING TFC AND ASKED IF THEY WERE IN SIGHT. THE PNF STILL RPTED THAT THE Y AIRLINE ACFT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. THEN THE CTLR WENT BACK TO GIVING DIRECTIONS TO OTHER LCL TFC. IN THE MEANTIME, THE PNF SPOTTED THE B737 AND WAS GOING TO RPT THE TFC IN SIGHT, BUT THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY DIRECTING OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. AS WE LEVELED AT 7000 FT, THE CTLR RPTED TO THE Y ACFT THAT THE X AIRLINER (US) HAD FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT MSL AND WAS NOW AT THEIR 12 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT, MOVING R TO L. Y AIRLINES RPTED US IN SIGHT, THEN THE CTLR GAVE THEM A R CLBING TURN TO 9000 FT AND DIRECTED US (X ACFT) TO FLY A HDG OF 050 DEGS. TCASII SOUNDED 'TFC, TFC' (TA). I LOOKED AT THE TCASII INDICATOR (WHICH WAS ON THE 5 MI RANGE) AND SAW THE Y ACFT DISPLAYED APPROX AT THE 8:30 O'CLOCK POS, SOMEWHERE AROUND 3 MI, 500 FT ABOVE US AND CLBING. AT NO TIME WAS THERE AN RA. THE PNF CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT TO THE CTLR, PLUS STATING THAT HE (THE CTLR) HAD CLRED US TO 7000 FT ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS. THEN SHE ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO CALL HIM WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'NO, THAT ISN'T NECESSARY.' THE FLT CONTINUED AND WAS PASSED ONTO ANOTHER CTLR, LNDG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHEN WE WALKED INTO Y AIRLINES FLT OPS (PHX) THE CAPT CALLED PHX TRACON. WHOMEVER SHE TALKED WITH, TOLD HER THAT 'WE' WERE OFF THE HOOK, BECAUSE IT WAS HIS (THE CTLR'S ) MISTAKE. THE CAPT MADE IT CLR THAT THE CALL WAS NOT TO PLACE BLAME ON ANYONE, NOR WAS IT TO 'GET US OFF THE HOOK' WITH ATC, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYTHING NEEDED TO BE EXPLAINED OR DONE, SHE WAS ON THE PHONE TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. NOTHING ELSE WAS DISCUSSED AND THE CONVERSATION ENDED. IN RETROSPECT, THE UNUSUAL HDG OF 090 ALONG WITH THE ALT 7000 FT MSL, SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED. THOSE 2 ITEMS ARE FAR FROM BEING NORMAL WHEN ARRIVING ON THE ARLIN 9 ARR.

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.