Narrative:

While on descent in to tus, tus approach gave us a clearance to 8000 ft and advised us to call the airport. At 8000 ft and 30 mi west of tus, I advised the first officer to tell ATC we had the airport. Tus responded with a roger and then began a rather lengthy communication with a VFR aircraft who wanted radar advisories. Having just encountered similar circumstances on the previous flight, the first officer and I commented 'here we go again' and I began slowing the aircraft in preparation for the coming slam-dunk approach. We had just decided to query ATC about a further descent clearance when they advised us of a C130 at 1 O'clock position and 5 mi at 8000 ft -- the 4 visual approach clearance. The controller responded that he thought he had already given us a visual clearance. I began a descent to avoid the C130, and the TCASII subsequently gave us a descend RA, so I increased my rate of descent. The controller cleared us for the visual while all of this was occurring. The C13O passed about 1 mi behind and 500 ft above. Since we had already initiated a see and avoid maneuver, the response required by the RA was not an abrupt maneuver. We continued for a normal landing at tus.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC INITIATED EVASIVE MANEUVER AS U90 APPLIES VISUAL SEPARATION WITH A C130.

Narrative: WHILE ON DSCNT IN TO TUS, TUS APCH GAVE US A CLRNC TO 8000 FT AND ADVISED US TO CALL THE ARPT. AT 8000 FT AND 30 MI W OF TUS, I ADVISED THE FO TO TELL ATC WE HAD THE ARPT. TUS RESPONDED WITH A ROGER AND THEN BEGAN A RATHER LENGTHY COM WITH A VFR ACFT WHO WANTED RADAR ADVISORIES. HAVING JUST ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE PREVIOUS FLT, THE FO AND I COMMENTED 'HERE WE GO AGAIN' AND I BEGAN SLOWING THE ACFT IN PREPARATION FOR THE COMING SLAM-DUNK APCH. WE HAD JUST DECIDED TO QUERY ATC ABOUT A FURTHER DSCNT CLRNC WHEN THEY ADVISED US OF A C130 AT 1 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI AT 8000 FT -- THE 4 VISUAL APCH CLRNC. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD ALREADY GIVEN US A VISUAL CLRNC. I BEGAN A DSCNT TO AVOID THE C130, AND THE TCASII SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE US A DSND RA, SO I INCREASED MY RATE OF DSCNT. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS OCCURRING. THE C13O PASSED ABOUT 1 MI BEHIND AND 500 FT ABOVE. SINCE WE HAD ALREADY INITIATED A SEE AND AVOID MANEUVER, THE RESPONSE REQUIRED BY THE RA WAS NOT AN ABRUPT MANEUVER. WE CONTINUED FOR A NORMAL LNDG AT TUS.

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.