OPERROR.

Narrative

BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS 1R AT WASHINGTON DULLES; ON BASE LEG FLYING A 280 DEG HDG ASSIGNED; WE WERE TOLD WE WERE BEING VECTORED THROUGH THE LOC. WE OBSERVED A TCASII TARGET OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AT ABOUT 4 MI HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US AT 3000 FT ALSO. CAPT INQUIRED ABOUT OUR BEING HIGH AS WE WERE GETTING CLOSE INTO THE MARKER. THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH UNABLE LOWER AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY ASKED ABOUT THE 12 O'CLOCK TFC; WHICH CHANGED TO A RA OF 'CLB; CLB MONITOR VERT CLB.' I IMMEDIATELY ADDED FULL PWR PITCHED UP AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND AUTO THROTTLES. WE LOST 20-30 KTS AND THE RA STILL HAD US PITCHING UP; SO I VERIFIED FULL PWR ON AND CONTINUED PITCHING UP. THE TFC WAS TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE IL LOC AND WAS DSNDING AND WE ATTAINED SEPARATION AT 400 FT (WE WERE AT 3100 FT AND THE TFC AT 2700 FT). WE THEN TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD AN RA TO WHICH WE GOT NO RESPONSE. WE WERE THEN VECTORED S; THEN E TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 19R LOC; AND THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 291215: THE CTLR SEEMED DISTURBED AND SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A 280 DEG HDG; WE WERE ON THAT HDG. I THINK HE THOUGHT WE WERE AT 2000 FT AND WAS GOING TO TAKE US THROUGH THE LOC AND FOLLOW THE OTHER TFC. I NEVER HEARD A 2000 FT CLRNC; AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR VECTORED ANOTHER ACFT FROM THE W TO RWY 1R WHEN IAD WAS LNDG RWY 1L AND RWY 1R. THIS WAS THE CLOSEST I HAVE COME TO ANOTHER ACFT IN IMC CONDITIONS AND NEVER CARE TO DO IT AGAIN. 'WE WERE ON A 9 HR 40 MIN FLT DAY' OCEANIC FLT.