B737 crew on inbound route to bwi have close encounter with VFR traffic in a holding pattern.

Attributes
ACN	541539
Time
Date	200205
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : bal.vortac
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi.tracon tower : prc.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : holding
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 18 controller non radar : 31 controller radar : 31 controller supervisory : 25 flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	541539
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Advised by baltimore approach that traffic was holding at balance VOR at 10500 ft. ATC kept my aircraft on flight planned course and altitude. Conflicting traffic passed within 500 ft vertical/500 ft horizontally from my aircraft. We never saw traffic. Baltimore approach had poor attitude about event. Claimed they only have to advise of VFR traffic, not deconflict IFR from VFR traffic. We had 4 TA's and 3 RA's from TCASII and took evasive action on RA's.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW ON INBOUND RTE TO BWI HAVE CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH VFR TFC IN A HOLDING PATTERN.

Narrative: ADVISED BY BALTIMORE APCH THAT TFC WAS HOLDING AT BAL VOR AT 10500 FT. ATC KEPT MY ACFT ON FLT PLANNED COURSE AND ALT. CONFLICTING TFC PASSED WITHIN 500 FT VERT/500 FT HORIZONTALLY FROM MY ACFT. WE NEVER SAW TFC. BALTIMORE APCH HAD POOR ATTITUDE ABOUT EVENT. CLAIMED THEY ONLY HAVE TO ADVISE OF VFR TFC, NOT DECONFLICT IFR FROM VFR TFC. WE HAD 4 TA'S AND 3 RA'S FROM TCASII AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION ON RA'S.

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.