NMAC BTWN 2 COMPANY BRITISH AEROSPACE JETSTREAM 32'S TURNING BASE LEG. THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT CREW DID OBSERVE THE RPTR WHEN THEY WERE GIVEN A TURN BY ATC.

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ON FEB/MON/97; 2 COMPANY COMMUTER AIRPLANES NEARLY COLLIDED IN MIDAIR OVER FRESNO; CA. AT APPROX 4000 FT AND 5 MI FROM THE ARPT; APCH CTL ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH AND KEEP THE BASE LEG WITHIN 2 MI OF THE ARPT. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE COULD; AND WE PROCEEDED AS CLRED (R TFC FOR RWY 29R). AS WE BEGAN A TURN FOR THE BASE LEG; THE TWR CTLR ADVISED US OF TFC; 2 F16 MIL ACFT AND A COMPANY JETSTREAM. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE DOWNWIND. THE CAPT WANTED TO CLARIFY THE INSTRUCTIONS SO I ASKED THE CTLR TO VERIFY THAT HE WOULD CALL OUR BASE TURN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE TWR CTLR CALLED OUR BASE AND SWITCHED OUR RWY TO RWY 29L; ADVISING THAT COMPANY WAS 2 MI OUT FOR RWY 29R. HE THEN CHANGED OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT AND GAVE OUR COMPANY TFC INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN. AT THAT TIME WE GOT A TA FROM TCASII. THE TFC WAS AT OUR ALT AND VERY CLOSE. WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC UNTIL IT WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. AFTER LNDG WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE OTHER CREW. THEY DID SEE US; HOWEVER; AT VERY CLOSE RANGE. WE AGREED THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE HAZE THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME. ATC CTLING MULTIPLE FREQS; AND CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE; AS PLTS; ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SEE AND AVOID.