Narrative:

During visual approach to runway 24R at lax, we were tracking the runway 24R localizer with the autoplt. Socal approach advised that aircraft Y would be crossing behind us for a visual to runway 24L. We saw him coming on the ivsi/TCASII indicator and received a TCASII 'descend' warning as he passed behind us extremely close and pulled up on our left wing at our altitude and no more than 100 ft away. He maintained that close position all the way down, even after I complained to the tower. Tower's answer was 'yeah, a lot of people have been complaining about that.' aircraft Y was so close that his symbol on the TCASII display was co-located with our aircraft symbol on the 3 mi scale. If we had hit any wake turbulence, lost #1 engine, had a hard-over rudder, or any other condition which would cause us to go to the left, a collision would have been unavoidable. As it was, we had to listen to the TCASII yell 'descend' at us for most of the approach, and I had to spend 1/2 my time keeping an eye on aircraft Y instead of focusing on flying the approach. Unplanned 'formation' flight is prohibited by the FARS, as well as careless and reckless operation, both violated by the aircraft Y crew. The tower tried to blow it off by saying that aircraft Y had been instructed by socal approach to get as close as possible, but not pass us. Controller instructions cannot supersede the FARS, especially in a non emergency situation. It is my understanding that socal is creating these dangerous sits, but the aircraft Y crew needed to use better judgement to ensure safe separation. Several deplaning passenger asked me why that other airplane was so close to us and seemed very concerned. I was very concerned, so I'm sure our customers were somewhat alarmed at the sight of another aircraft that close to us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT SIDE-BY SPACING USED AT LAX ARPT.

Narrative: DURING VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX, WE WERE TRACKING THE RWY 24R LOC WITH THE AUTOPLT. SOCAL APCH ADVISED THAT ACFT Y WOULD BE XING BEHIND US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 24L. WE SAW HIM COMING ON THE IVSI/TCASII INDICATOR AND RECEIVED A TCASII 'DSND' WARNING AS HE PASSED BEHIND US EXTREMELY CLOSE AND PULLED UP ON OUR L WING AT OUR ALT AND NO MORE THAN 100 FT AWAY. HE MAINTAINED THAT CLOSE POS ALL THE WAY DOWN, EVEN AFTER I COMPLAINED TO THE TWR. TWR'S ANSWER WAS 'YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT.' ACFT Y WAS SO CLOSE THAT HIS SYMBOL ON THE TCASII DISPLAY WAS CO-LOCATED WITH OUR ACFT SYMBOL ON THE 3 MI SCALE. IF WE HAD HIT ANY WAKE TURB, LOST #1 ENG, HAD A HARD-OVER RUDDER, OR ANY OTHER CONDITION WHICH WOULD CAUSE US TO GO TO THE L, A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE. AS IT WAS, WE HAD TO LISTEN TO THE TCASII YELL 'DSND' AT US FOR MOST OF THE APCH, AND I HAD TO SPEND 1/2 MY TIME KEEPING AN EYE ON ACFT Y INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON FLYING THE APCH. UNPLANNED 'FORMATION' FLT IS PROHIBITED BY THE FARS, AS WELL AS CARELESS AND RECKLESS OP, BOTH VIOLATED BY THE ACFT Y CREW. THE TWR TRIED TO BLOW IT OFF BY SAYING THAT ACFT Y HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY SOCAL APCH TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, BUT NOT PASS US. CTLR INSTRUCTIONS CANNOT SUPERSEDE THE FARS, ESPECIALLY IN A NON EMER SIT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SOCAL IS CREATING THESE DANGEROUS SITS, BUT THE ACFT Y CREW NEEDED TO USE BETTER JUDGEMENT TO ENSURE SAFE SEPARATION. SEVERAL DEPLANING PAX ASKED ME WHY THAT OTHER AIRPLANE WAS SO CLOSE TO US AND SEEMED VERY CONCERNED. I WAS VERY CONCERNED, SO I'M SURE OUR CUSTOMERS WERE SOMEWHAT ALARMED AT THE SIGHT OF ANOTHER ACFT THAT CLOSE TO US.

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.