Narrative:

We were being vectored for an ILS 22L approach into newark airport. Due to high traffic in the area, we were being vectored very far south as sort of an extended upwind leg working towards our destination airport. We were at 7000' AGL about 30 southwest of teb VOR over a geographical point called the round lake reservoir, about 5 to 8 mi south of solberg VOR. The approach controller had been confusing our call #, repeatedly calling us xxy instead of xyy, despite repeated corrections. Suddenly, we saw an medium large transport pass heading west at our altitude. My first officer spotted the medium large transport before I did. I only saw it when it was already about 11 O'clock to our position. The controller issued a hurried change to our heading. We inquired about the medium large transport and were told that it was passing through our altitude on its way to 6000'. Evasive action was not necessary, but the medium large transport appeared to be too close for comfort. A call to the ATC facility revealed that the supervisor did a 'computer dump' to determine if there had been a problem. In fact, the medium large transport evidently was around 5 mi away from us on a converging heading. Factors contributing to this incident. Controller fatigue. Flight crew fatigue. (Maybe we could have seen the medium large transport sooner had we not been so exhausted.) high density operations in the ny terminal area. Communication confusion, i.e., xxy vs. Xyy. A recurrence could be avoided by stringently enforcing or reducing controller duty times and/or reducing allowable duty rigs for flight crews under parts 121 and 135.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN ACR LGT AND ACR MLG.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS 22L APCH INTO NEWARK ARPT. DUE TO HIGH TFC IN THE AREA, WE WERE BEING VECTORED VERY FAR S AS SORT OF AN EXTENDED UPWIND LEG WORKING TOWARDS OUR DEST ARPT. WE WERE AT 7000' AGL ABOUT 30 SW OF TEB VOR OVER A GEOGRAPHICAL POINT CALLED THE ROUND LAKE RESERVOIR, ABOUT 5 TO 8 MI S OF SOLBERG VOR. THE APCH CTLR HAD BEEN CONFUSING OUR CALL #, REPEATEDLY CALLING US XXY INSTEAD OF XYY, DESPITE REPEATED CORRECTIONS. SUDDENLY, WE SAW AN MLG PASS HDG W AT OUR ALT. MY F/O SPOTTED THE MLG BEFORE I DID. I ONLY SAW IT WHEN IT WAS ALREADY ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK TO OUR POS. THE CTLR ISSUED A HURRIED CHANGE TO OUR HDG. WE INQUIRED ABOUT THE MLG AND WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS PASSING THROUGH OUR ALT ON ITS WAY TO 6000'. EVASIVE ACTION WAS NOT NECESSARY, BUT THE MLG APPEARED TO BE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. A CALL TO THE ATC FAC REVEALED THAT THE SUPVR DID A 'COMPUTER DUMP' TO DETERMINE IF THERE HAD BEEN A PROB. IN FACT, THE MLG EVIDENTLY WAS AROUND 5 MI AWAY FROM US ON A CONVERGING HDG. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT. CTLR FATIGUE. FLT CREW FATIGUE. (MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SEEN THE MLG SOONER HAD WE NOT BEEN SO EXHAUSTED.) HIGH DENSITY OPS IN THE NY TERMINAL AREA. COM CONFUSION, I.E., XXY VS. XYY. A RECURRENCE COULD BE AVOIDED BY STRINGENTLY ENFORCING OR REDUCING CTLR DUTY TIMES AND/OR REDUCING ALLOWABLE DUTY RIGS FOR FLT CREWS UNDER PARTS 121 AND 135.

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.