B737-300 ACFT ON VECTORS FOR APCH HAD LONG FINAL AND PROBABLY POPPED OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE RESULTING IN A CONFLICT WITH A GA ACFT. FLC HAD TCASII RA; BUT SAY THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REACT.

Narrative

ROCKIT ARR. DEPARTED AKEEM 265 DEG HDG; 6000 FT MSL. SWITCHED TO FINAL CTLR (FREQ 121.65? NOT SURE). JUST PAST APCH END OF RWY 8; IAH; CLRED TO DSND TO 3000 FT. CONTINUED ON WESTERLY HDG PAST HOOKS AIRFIELD. CLRED TO 2000 FT MSL; TURNED L TO 180 DEGS; BASE LEG. REACHED 2000 FT ON BASE LEG; TURNED TO INTERCEPT RWY 8 LOC; STILL AT 2000 FT! WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY; LOOKING FOR TFC; RUNNING THE APCH CHK; ETC; I DID NOT LOOK AT OUR DME. I WOULD ESTIMATE BTWN 15-20 NM -- IT WAS A VERY LONG FINAL. WE ARE NOW ON LOC AT 2000 FT MSL. APCH CALLED OUT UNKNOWN VFR TFC; ALT INDICATED 1800 FT MSL; 1 O'CLOCK. WE LOOKED; NO CONTACT. NEXT; TCASII RPTS 'TFC; TFC.' WE VISUALLY LOCATE THE TFC; A C172 HIGH WING VARIETY. TCASII RPTS 'CLB; CLB;' BUT BEFORE WE COULD ACTUALLY RESPOND TO THE RA; TFC WENT UNDER US AND OFF TO OUR L. AS I WATCHED HIM; I NOTICED HOOKS AT 10 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 3 OR 4 MI. OBSERVATIONS: 1) SUSPECT AT OUR MOST WESTERLY POS AT 2000 FT THAT WE HAD 'POPPED OUT' OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. 2) WHEN THE CONFLICT OCCURRED; WE WERE BACK INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. 3) TCASII DOES NOT ALWAYS GIVE YOU TIME TO RESPOND. 4) WE WERE IN THE TCA AT 2000 FT MSL. THE CESSNA WAS LEGALLY FLYING BELOW THE TCA AT 1800 FT MSL. HE COULD HAVE BEEN AT 1999 FT MSL; LEGALLY. CONCLUSIONS: 1) THE FLOOR OF THE TCA IS NOT A SAFE PLACE. 2) IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO OPERATE A SAFE FLT. 3) I WILL NO LONGER FLY AT THE FLOOR OF THE TCA; NOR WILL I ACCEPT A CLRNC TO DO SO. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) APCH CTL SHOULD ADVISE US HOW LONG OUR FINAL WILL BE. NORMALLY; WE INFER BY DSCNT CLRNCS. FOR INSTANCE; AT IAH; AT 6000 FT MSL ON DOWNWIND; A DSCNT CLRNC TO 3000 FT OR 2000 FT MSL NORMALLY MEANS THE CTLR IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A BASE TURN VERY QUICKLY. MY RESPONSE? I EXPEDITE MY DSCNT TO AVOID A 'SLAM DUNK.' A CLRNC TO 4000 FT? NO HURRY; LONG FINAL. 2) APCH CTL SHOULD NOT ASSIGN 2000 FT IF THEY KNOW THEY ARE PLANNING TO TAKE AN AIRPLANE BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TCA. 3000 FT OR 4000 FT WOULD WORK FINE. 3) DO NOT TRUST APCH CTL. THEY DON'T CARE IF THEY COMPROMISE MY SAFETY OR MY LICENSE. IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY; SO THEY DON'T CARE. ONCE AGAIN; I'M ON MY OWN.