Close proximity air carrier-medium large transport GA-small aircraft in traffic at aus.

Attributes
ACN	92161
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : aus
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9500
ASRS Report	92161
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	92584
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 750 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a night visual approach, tower cleared our flight to land on runway 13R, but cautioned that a light aircraft would land on intersecting runway 17 just ahead of us. When I finally saw the traffic (his lights were masked in the city lights below), I realized immediately that we were on a collision course with this aircraft. I told the tower that this was not going to work out and that we would have to go around. They seemed surprised and immediately asked the light aircraft if he could still land on the parallel runway (13L). After initially hesitating, the other aircraft agreed that he could make runway 13L and both aircraft landed uneventfully. I am convinced that had I not seen the other aircraft when I did, that we would have hit him at the intersection of the runways--we were definitely on a collision course--undetected by the tower. When questioned, the tower supervisor was unaware of the situation! It was disconcerting that ATC would space aircraft such that a situation like this could occur in a radar environment! We were 1/4-1/2 mi out when we saw the aircraft and were 500-1000' from it horizontal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA IN TRAFFIC AT AUS.

Narrative: ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH, TWR CLRED OUR FLT TO LAND ON RWY 13R, BUT CAUTIONED THAT A LIGHT ACFT WOULD LAND ON INTERSECTING RWY 17 JUST AHEAD OF US. WHEN I FINALLY SAW THE TFC (HIS LIGHTS WERE MASKED IN THE CITY LIGHTS BELOW), I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THIS ACFT. I TOLD THE TWR THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO WORK OUT AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO AROUND. THEY SEEMED SURPRISED AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE LIGHT ACFT IF HE COULD STILL LAND ON THE PARALLEL RWY (13L). AFTER INITIALLY HESITATING, THE OTHER ACFT AGREED THAT HE COULD MAKE RWY 13L AND BOTH ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I AM CONVINCED THAT HAD I NOT SEEN THE OTHER ACFT WHEN I DID, THAT WE WOULD HAVE HIT HIM AT THE INTXN OF THE RWYS--WE WERE DEFINITELY ON A COLLISION COURSE--UNDETECTED BY THE TWR. WHEN QUESTIONED, THE TWR SUPVR WAS UNAWARE OF THE SITUATION! IT WAS DISCONCERTING THAT ATC WOULD SPACE ACFT SUCH THAT A SITUATION LIKE THIS COULD OCCUR IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT! WE WERE 1/4-1/2 MI OUT WHEN WE SAW THE ACFT AND WERE 500-1000' FROM IT HORIZ.

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.