Narrative:

We were approaching phx from the northwest, not on a published arrival due to heavy trw. ATC was very busy and radio traffic was heavy. As we came abeam the end of runway 8L, about 10 mi out on a heading of 170 degrees and 4000' MSL (a very nice 'base turn') we heard a clearance to turn to 70 degrees and a clearance for a visual approach to runway 8L. As we started to turn in and descend we saw air carrier Y coming at us from the south also turning into the runway. Had we both continued we would have come quite close. We immediately stopped the turn and requested a verification from the controller. He was extremely busy and got excited when he realized what had happened, gave us a 170 degree heading and 3100' MSL. Then he came back, asked if we had the airport. I looked back over my left shoulder and replied yes (the airport was at 7 O'clock and about 6 mi). He then cleared us for a left turn to a visual to runway 8L! I stated we were unable from our position but could make a right 270 degree turn. We were cleared back to 4000' MSL and vectored around to the right for an uneventful landing. Talking to the approach supervisor on the phone later revealed that they were not sure where the confusion had started. I believe that approach control was working with a light saturday crew and had too many airplanes on the same frequency and same scope. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says that same controller was working all the arrival traffic and thinks controller had misidented his aircraft target and did not realize they would conflict with air carrier Y if they turned toward the runway. There were 6 or more aircraft on approach controller frequency and several had deviated around WX north and northwest of airport. Says this controller was overloaded with traffic and could have used some help. When he called after landing the supervisor was surprised to hear that there had been any potential conflict and reporter got the impression that they would like to take care of it west/O any formal reports being filed. At closest point there was perhaps 2 mi between X and Y at same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN TWO ACR ON APCH AT PHX. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING PHX FROM THE NW, NOT ON A PUBLISHED ARR DUE TO HVY TRW. ATC WAS VERY BUSY AND RADIO TFC WAS HVY. AS WE CAME ABEAM THE END OF RWY 8L, ABOUT 10 MI OUT ON A HDG OF 170 DEGS AND 4000' MSL (A VERY NICE 'BASE TURN') WE HEARD A CLRNC TO TURN TO 70 DEGS AND A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L. AS WE STARTED TO TURN IN AND DSND WE SAW ACR Y COMING AT US FROM THE S ALSO TURNING INTO THE RWY. HAD WE BOTH CONTINUED WE WOULD HAVE COME QUITE CLOSE. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE TURN AND REQUESTED A VERIFICATION FROM THE CTLR. HE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND GOT EXCITED WHEN HE REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, GAVE US A 170 DEG HDG AND 3100' MSL. THEN HE CAME BACK, ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT. I LOOKED BACK OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER AND REPLIED YES (THE ARPT WAS AT 7 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 6 MI). HE THEN CLRED US FOR A LEFT TURN TO A VISUAL TO RWY 8L! I STATED WE WERE UNABLE FROM OUR POS BUT COULD MAKE A RIGHT 270 DEG TURN. WE WERE CLRED BACK TO 4000' MSL AND VECTORED AROUND TO THE RIGHT FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TALKING TO THE APCH SUPVR ON THE PHONE LATER REVEALED THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHERE THE CONFUSION HAD STARTED. I BELIEVE THAT APCH CTL WAS WORKING WITH A LIGHT SATURDAY CREW AND HAD TOO MANY AIRPLANES ON THE SAME FREQ AND SAME SCOPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS THAT SAME CTLR WAS WORKING ALL THE ARR TFC AND THINKS CTLR HAD MISIDENTED HIS ACFT TARGET AND DID NOT REALIZE THEY WOULD CONFLICT WITH ACR Y IF THEY TURNED TOWARD THE RWY. THERE WERE 6 OR MORE ACFT ON APCH CTLR FREQ AND SEVERAL HAD DEVIATED AROUND WX N AND NW OF ARPT. SAYS THIS CTLR WAS OVERLOADED WITH TFC AND COULD HAVE USED SOME HELP. WHEN HE CALLED AFTER LNDG THE SUPVR WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND RPTR GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF IT W/O ANY FORMAL RPTS BEING FILED. AT CLOSEST POINT THERE WAS PERHAPS 2 MI BTWN X AND Y AT SAME ALT.

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.