FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT RESPONDING TO A TCASII ALERT OBSERVED TFC THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CONFLICT IF THEY WERE DSNDING AT THE NORMAL DSCNT RATE INSTEAD OF A SLOWER RATE.

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DURING DSCNT INTO PHX WE WERE TOLD TO TURN TO A HDG OF 160 DEGS (FOR VECTOR FOR VISUAL APCH PHX) AND DSND TO 8000 FT. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME SO WE WERE IN A SLOW DSCNT (APPROX 800 FPM); AT ABOUT 1000 FT WE HAD THE FIRST ALERT ON TCASII; (TFC!) AND I LOOKED AT THE SCREEN FOR POS AND THEN OUTSIDE FOR TFC (NO JOY). AT 9300 FT WE HAD THE TCASII RESOLUTION; 'REDUCE DSCNT.' AT THAT TIME I SAW AN SMA PASS UNDER US AT APPROX 8000 FT NBOUND. HAD WE INCREASED OUR RATE OF DSCNT; WITH NO TCASII IN IMC; I WOULDN'T BE HERE WRITING THIS! AFTER LNDG; I CONTACTED PHX TRACON AND SPOKE TO FAA CTLR. HE SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SMA AND BECAUSE OF AN INTERMITTENT XPONDER; THEY INSTRUCTED THE SMA 'TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA.' UPON FURTHER RESEARCH; IT APPEARS THAT THE 030 DEG RADIAL/19 DME 8000 FT IS IN THE TCA! FAA CTLR SAID HIS TAPES WERE 'SKETCHY AT BEST' CONCERNING THE SMA TRACK BECAUSE OF THE XPONDER? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME FOLLOW-UP ON THIS INCIDENT AND THE SMA DRIVER VIOLATED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE APPRECIATED THE CALLBACK; HOWEVER; HE HAD GIVEN A COPY OF THIS RPT TO THE COMPANY SAFETY OFFICER; WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE FAA ATC TO FOLLOW UP ON. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE LEARNED THAT THE ACFT; IN VFR CONDITIONS; WAS ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE TCA AND PROBABLY CLBING NBOUND VFR. HE REALLY BELIEVES IN THE TCASII EQUIP HELPING TO REDUCE NMACS.