Narrative:

We were on a radar vector by clt approach control on a heading of 340 degrees, descending from 9000-6000'. We were #8 for landing on 36L at clt and had several aircraft lights in sight. One set remained at our 2 O'clock position for some time. It wasn't until the aircraft was in close that we realized that we were on a collision course. We were at 8500' on a 340 degree heading, the other aircraft on about a 250 degree heading at our altitude. We turned left and increased our des. He appeared to climb. I estimated the other aircraft passed about 300' directly over us. We asked approach control about the target and he said he didn't pick up his altitude readout until after he passed us. Just prior to the incident I was going to inquire about the aircraft at our 1 O'clock position, but the frequency was saturated. We had our inboard landing lights and runway turnoff lights on at the time. The other aircraft only had his running lights on. Just as we converged, he turned his landing lights on, giving us a good picture of his heading and altitude. He was close enough at that time to tell that he was a light twin engine aircraft. His lack of landing lights led us to believe he was traffic flying parallel to us since the red and green running lights were not that visible with his white strobes on. The other aircraft must have had a transponder for approach control to give us he altitude readout, yet he was never pointed out to us. Supplemental information from acn 82540: the #1 F/a said several passenger on the right side saw him pass overhead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT OPERATION HAD NMAC WITH SMT. NO TRAFFIC ADVISORY GIVEN.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A RADAR VECTOR BY CLT APCH CTL ON A HDG OF 340 DEGS, DSNDING FROM 9000-6000'. WE WERE #8 FOR LNDG ON 36L AT CLT AND HAD SEVERAL ACFT LIGHTS IN SIGHT. ONE SET REMAINED AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS FOR SOME TIME. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE ACFT WAS IN CLOSE THAT WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE. WE WERE AT 8500' ON A 340 DEG HDG, THE OTHER ACFT ON ABOUT A 250 DEG HDG AT OUR ALT. WE TURNED LEFT AND INCREASED OUR DES. HE APPEARED TO CLB. I ESTIMATED THE OTHER ACFT PASSED ABOUT 300' DIRECTLY OVER US. WE ASKED APCH CTL ABOUT THE TARGET AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T PICK UP HIS ALT READOUT UNTIL AFTER HE PASSED US. JUST PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT I WAS GOING TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE ACFT AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS, BUT THE FREQ WAS SATURATED. WE HAD OUR INBOARD LNDG LIGHTS AND RWY TURNOFF LIGHTS ON AT THE TIME. THE OTHER ACFT ONLY HAD HIS RUNNING LIGHTS ON. JUST AS WE CONVERGED, HE TURNED HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON, GIVING US A GOOD PICTURE OF HIS HDG AND ALT. HE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH AT THAT TIME TO TELL THAT HE WAS A LIGHT TWIN ENG ACFT. HIS LACK OF LNDG LIGHTS LED US TO BELIEVE HE WAS TFC FLYING PARALLEL TO US SINCE THE RED AND GREEN RUNNING LIGHTS WERE NOT THAT VISIBLE WITH HIS WHITE STROBES ON. THE OTHER ACFT MUST HAVE HAD A TRANSPONDER FOR APCH CTL TO GIVE US HE ALT READOUT, YET HE WAS NEVER POINTED OUT TO US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 82540: THE #1 F/A SAID SEVERAL PAX ON THE RIGHT SIDE SAW HIM PASS OVERHEAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.