2023-08 · NASA ASRS report 2027432
Air carrier flight crew reported a near miss with another aircraft while on approach to SBY airport which required evasive action and compliance with a TCAS RA.
ZZZ-SBY Captain was pilot monitoring (PM); First Officer (FO) was pilot flying (PF). Patuxent Approach left us a little high as they were vectoring us directly towards COLBE; which is the FAF for the visual approach for Runway 32. Approach instructed us to descend from 7;000 ft. to 2;000 ft. when we were approximately 7 miles from our anticipated intercept of the final approach into SBY. Approach then called out traffic in our area and we responded that we were looking for the traffic. Approach then asked us if we had the airport in sight; and we responded that we did have the airport in sight. Approach told us that we were Cleared for the visual 32. Radar services terminated. Contact Tower on 119.42". I contacted SBY Tower and told them our altitude (@6;000 ft.) and that we were on the visual for Runway 32; and that Patuxent left us a little high and that we may need to fly through the final in order to lose our altitude. Tower acknowledged and asked our position. We said we were @ 8 miles from the field. During this time; FO had called for flaps 9°; followed by gear down and flaps 22°. While we were descending; we heard Tower speaking to another aircraft that we were @ 8 miles out; and that we were going to; on the visual for Runway 32; but that we may need to fly through the final in order to lose more altitude. We descended fast enough that I told the Tower on our next call that we were not going to need to fly through the final and that we would intercept the final approach for the visual 32. As we were descending out of @ 2;300 ft. for 2;000 ft.; and our Autopilot captured and began to turn left onto the final approach; I saw Aircraft Y quickly approaching traveling in the opposite direction at about 1;900 ft. and climbing as we were descending out of about 2;100 ft. Our closing rate seemed quite rapid; and I took control of the airplane and over-rode the Autopilot using the TCS (Touch Control Steering) button and as I turned to the right and away from the closing traffic; we received an RA with an audible; "Pull up; pull up." Being that I never lost visual with Aircraft Y; we only had to deviate slightly to the right and stopped our descent. I transferred controls back to FO; and he called for a go-around. We performed a go-around procedure; and I notified Tower that we almost hit Aircraft Y and that we had an RA in our cockpit; and that we were going around. We were then handed back to Patuxent Approach and they vectored us back for another try for Runway 32. We were eventually handed back to Tower and proceeded to land with no further incident.Two high powered and high performance aircraft flying a visual approach while backing the approach with the ILS approach plate; at an airport with no radar capabilities; with questionable spacing; which put both aircraft on a course of impact with each other.I would suggest that Tower does not allow two aircraft on the same approach with one plane (Aircraft Y) doing the published missed approach that will direct the missed approach plane to cross the final approach of landing traffic; thereby creating a potential mid-air collision."
We were cleared for the visual for Runway 32 by Patuxent Approach. Once established inbound for 32; we were about to cross the final approach fix when we got an RA. We complied with the RA and executed the missed according to Company procedures.Aircraft Y [was] practicing full missed approaches and the missed approach holding pattern is the same fix as the final approach fix for 32.Suggestion: Better coordination between Approach and Tower.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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