Narrative:

While descending from 6000 ft to assigned altitude of 4000 ft; controller (orlando approach) said; 'descend using your own discretion; there is traffic maneuvering at your 12 O'clock position and 6 mi.' I queried the controller regarding our status 'are we still IFR? Your clearance is confusing; what do you want us to do?' we were on a vector to intercept the localizer and his language made it sound like we were VFR. The controller confirmed our still-IFR clearance and told us to maintain 5000 ft and look for the traffic. We received a TA just north of our localizer intercept. TCASII indicated traffic was climbing into our altitude. I told the captain to be ready for an RA and climb shortly while I was looking for the traffic. Right when I spotted the traffic; the RA alerted a 'climb;' which we did. I advised the controller that 'we have received an RA and are presently in the climb!' we deviated 700 ft high. It was 2 cessnas in formation. One must have seen us and turned away to the left; while the TA/RA events go unrpted by pilots just through informal polling of them. This happens often. There is a very; very unsafe environment which mixes lots of training aircraft with large jets (including B747's). There needs to be airspace changes and/or restrs on operations before a collision happens. I feel strongly a collision will occur in the near future unless something is done to clean the airspace and keep small aircraft from operating like this around what is fast-becoming a high traffic international airport!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 EXPERIENCED TCASII RA WITH ISSUED TFC AT 5000 FT WHILE ON LOC TO SFB RWY 9L.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM 6000 FT TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT; CTLR (ORLANDO APCH) SAID; 'DSND USING YOUR OWN DISCRETION; THERE IS TFC MANEUVERING AT YOUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 6 MI.' I QUERIED THE CTLR REGARDING OUR STATUS 'ARE WE STILL IFR? YOUR CLRNC IS CONFUSING; WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?' WE WERE ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND HIS LANGUAGE MADE IT SOUND LIKE WE WERE VFR. THE CTLR CONFIRMED OUR STILL-IFR CLRNC AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT AND LOOK FOR THE TFC. WE RECEIVED A TA JUST N OF OUR LOC INTERCEPT. TCASII INDICATED TFC WAS CLBING INTO OUR ALT. I TOLD THE CAPT TO BE READY FOR AN RA AND CLB SHORTLY WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC. RIGHT WHEN I SPOTTED THE TFC; THE RA ALERTED A 'CLB;' WHICH WE DID. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT 'WE HAVE RECEIVED AN RA AND ARE PRESENTLY IN THE CLB!' WE DEVIATED 700 FT HIGH. IT WAS 2 CESSNAS IN FORMATION. ONE MUST HAVE SEEN US AND TURNED AWAY TO THE L; WHILE THE TA/RA EVENTS GO UNRPTED BY PLTS JUST THROUGH INFORMAL POLLING OF THEM. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN. THERE IS A VERY; VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT WHICH MIXES LOTS OF TRAINING ACFT WITH LARGE JETS (INCLUDING B747'S). THERE NEEDS TO BE AIRSPACE CHANGES AND/OR RESTRS ON OPS BEFORE A COLLISION HAPPENS. I FEEL STRONGLY A COLLISION WILL OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE TO CLEAN THE AIRSPACE AND KEEP SMALL ACFT FROM OPERATING LIKE THIS AROUND WHAT IS FAST-BECOMING A HIGH TFC INTL ARPT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.