Narrative:

On a normal uneventful flight from ewr to atl, with the exception we had a human heart on board and classified as a lifeguard flight. When checking on with approach we were assigned runway 8L with lndgs on runway 8L and runway 9L at atl, runway 9L closed (the normal landing runway). The captain wanted and I asked for runway 9L. Approach said ok runway 9L, we were on a 180 degree heading when given descent from 14000 ft to 12000 ft. On descent through 13300 ft I noticed traffic on TCASII at 12000 ft and at our 2 O'clock position and stated 'he's going to descend us into 12000 ft traffic.' in VFR conditions I visually confirmed traffic air carrier Y L1011 at our 2 - 2:30 O'clock position. Captain did not say anything so I did not say anything to ATC. I think I was expecting air carrier Y L1011 to descend but he never did. At 12600 ft the TCASII gave an alert and I called traffic in sight. Nothing was said to ATC. Shortly after, we were level at 12000 ft and ATC gave air carrier Y L1011 a right turn vector and us a left turn vector. There was good situational awareness in our cockpit, but future problems could be avoided by simple communication. Ask the controller if that's what he wants when it doesn't look right. Flying in and out of the new york area, this occasionally happens with the mix of VFR aircraft. But when I stated he's going to descend us into that guy and I visually confirmed an L1011 2 mi off the right side, that should have been a flag to verify with the controller. I suspect when we were changed from runway 8L to runway 9L, we were put on the same vector as air carrier Y L1011 who was tagged for runway 9L and the controller forgot to turn and change his runway to runway 8L. It's easy to micro-manage controllers in our small view from the TCASII screen and it's often unwarranted, but it doesn't hurt to ask a question when it doesn't look right.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR DSNDED ACR X TO SAME ALT OCCUPIED BY A LOCKHEED L1011 AND THEN TURNED EACH ACFT AWAY FROM THE OTHER DURING TRANSITION TO PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: ON A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM EWR TO ATL, WITH THE EXCEPTION WE HAD A HUMAN HEART ON BOARD AND CLASSIFIED AS A LIFEGUARD FLT. WHEN CHKING ON WITH APCH WE WERE ASSIGNED RWY 8L WITH LNDGS ON RWY 8L AND RWY 9L AT ATL, RWY 9L CLOSED (THE NORMAL LNDG RWY). THE CAPT WANTED AND I ASKED FOR RWY 9L. APCH SAID OK RWY 9L, WE WERE ON A 180 DEG HDG WHEN GIVEN DSCNT FROM 14000 FT TO 12000 FT. ON DSCNT THROUGH 13300 FT I NOTICED TFC ON TCASII AT 12000 FT AND AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND STATED 'HE'S GOING TO DSND US INTO 12000 FT TFC.' IN VFR CONDITIONS I VISUALLY CONFIRMED TFC ACR Y L1011 AT OUR 2 - 2:30 O'CLOCK POS. CAPT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING SO I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO ATC. I THINK I WAS EXPECTING ACR Y L1011 TO DSND BUT HE NEVER DID. AT 12600 FT THE TCASII GAVE AN ALERT AND I CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. NOTHING WAS SAID TO ATC. SHORTLY AFTER, WE WERE LEVEL AT 12000 FT AND ATC GAVE ACR Y L1011 A R TURN VECTOR AND US A L TURN VECTOR. THERE WAS GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN OUR COCKPIT, BUT FUTURE PROBS COULD BE AVOIDED BY SIMPLE COM. ASK THE CTLR IF THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS WHEN IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. FLYING IN AND OUT OF THE NEW YORK AREA, THIS OCCASIONALLY HAPPENS WITH THE MIX OF VFR ACFT. BUT WHEN I STATED HE'S GOING TO DSND US INTO THAT GUY AND I VISUALLY CONFIRMED AN L1011 2 MI OFF THE R SIDE, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FLAG TO VERIFY WITH THE CTLR. I SUSPECT WHEN WE WERE CHANGED FROM RWY 8L TO RWY 9L, WE WERE PUT ON THE SAME VECTOR AS ACR Y L1011 WHO WAS TAGGED FOR RWY 9L AND THE CTLR FORGOT TO TURN AND CHANGE HIS RWY TO RWY 8L. IT'S EASY TO MICRO-MANAGE CTLRS IN OUR SMALL VIEW FROM THE TCASII SCREEN AND IT'S OFTEN UNWARRANTED, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO ASK A QUESTION WHEN IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.

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.