2025-06 · NASA ASRS report 2249078
B737 flight crew reported a near miss on approach to land with another 737 on approach.
Flight ABCD from ZZZ1 to ZZZ proceeded without issue until the final approach phase into ZZZ Airport. Upon approach; Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructed us to expect a visual approach to Runway XXL and advised that we would be paired with traffic for Runway XXR.At approximately 4;000 feet; ZZZ Approach advised us to look for a Boeing 737 on the right downwind for Runway XXR. We established visual contact with the aircraft and acknowledged instructions to maintain visual separation. Per SOP; our TCAS remained in TA/RA mode.The Aircraft Y also reported visual contact with our aircraft and confirmed their intent to maintain visual separation. However; during final approach; Aircraft Y overshot its turn to final and inadvertently aligned with our final approach course to Runway XXL. At that point; the aircraft was nearly directly overhead and slightly ahead of us; causing significant concern on our flight deck. Adding to the stress was our limited visual contact with Aircraft Y given their position above us. Both the First Officer (FO) and I had to lean forward and twist to look up at their aircraft.Playback data indicates that the separation between our aircraft and Aircraft Y was approximately 500 feet vertically and 400 feet horizontally. The proximity was close enough that I could look directly into the wheel wells of Aircraft Y above us.Following the alignment conflict; we received a TCAS Resolution Advisory (RA) instructing us to descend; which we executed promptly. Concurrently; I initiated a lateral offset to the south to further increase separation. My worry was that Aircraft Y would descend on top of us since we were in each other's blind spots. However; Aircraft Y must have received a corresponding TCAS 'Climb' RA; as they ceased descending and subsequently executed a missed approach.Due to the loss of visual contact with Aircraft Y (which was now almost directly overhead in a blind spot); a go-around was considered. However; I determined that continuing the approach with an offset was the safer course of action until the position and intentions of Aircraft Y were confirmed.Once it was evident that Aircraft Y had discontinued their approach; we realigned with the runway and focused fully on our landing. The remainder of the approach and landing proceeded without further incident. After we left the aircraft I completed a verbal debrief with the chief pilot.
I was acting as pilot monitoring during vectors to final for a visual approach to XXL at an altitude of 6;000 ft at 210 kts. The Captain was the Pilot Flying and had Autopilot and auto throttle off. We advised ZZZ Approach that we had the field in sight. To the best of my knowledge; we were instructed to descend to 4;000 ft; turn left heading 330; and were cleared for the visual approach to Runway XXL. We had the ILS XXL loaded into the box and tuned for extra situational awareness. Conditions were VFR although the position of the sun created considerable glare and shadowing towards the runways; a possible contributor to the event.Traffic was reported as a 737; at our 12-1 position setting up for a visual approach to XXR. We visually identified the aircraft; appearing roughly 500+ feet above us; turning from base to final. We were told to maintain visual separation and were subsequently given heading our discretion as well as a speed restriction of 180 kts.While shallowing our intercept angle to the final approach course to XXL; we noticed that the traffic appeared to be slightly high and converging at a rate far quicker than standard at ZZZ. Alarmed by the traffic; we soon had and reacted to a resolution advisory instructing us to descend; the target aircraft appeared to be between 200 ft and 300 ft above us at this time. While complying with the descent; we noticed the 737 roughly 500 above us with minimal lateral offset. The 737; which appeared to be gear down; seemed to level off or slow their descent and slowly drifted back to our right. The Captain lost visual contact with the traffic; I was only able to maintain visual contact with the 737 only by leaning forward and looking nearly vertical out of window #2 right. The RA soon advised clear of conflict. During the maneuver the Primary Flight Display showed us maintaining left of extended center and left of the Runway XXL localizer. Once clear and stable I verified that our equipment was indeed set up correctly for XXL. I also inquired ZZZ Approach about which runway the traffic was cleared to shoot the approach to; the reply was indeed XXR. I cannot verify as to whether or not the traffic indeed blew through the XXR extended centerline but; as mentioned; we were showing left of the XXL extended centerline and our perspective showed lateral separation close to nil.We subsequently stabilized for the approach before 1;000 AFE and switched to Tower. We were soon cleared to land and made an uneventful landing and taxi to the gate. We overheard Tower providing Aircraft Y a heading and altitude; suggesting the other aircraft likely responded to their own RA from the event and chose to go around and/or cancel the approach.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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