A CPR BE02 CLRED FOR VOR APCH TO MHR TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT; ACFT DSNDED WITHOUT CLRNC AND HAD AN NMAC WITH AN IFR ACFT OFF SAC. APCH CTLR TURNED BOTH ACFT TO KEEP SEPARATION; BUT NOT IN TIME TO PREVENT THE NMAC.

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ON JAN/THU/98; AT APPROX XA30 HRS LCL I WAS DOING A RECURRENCE FLT WITH MY CHIEF PLT WHO WAS ACTING AS MY FO AND CHK PLT. WE WERE IN IMC AND HAD JUST PERFORMED A PROC TURN AT 3000 FT FOR THE VOR APCH TO THE SACRAMENTO MATHER ARPT. AT THIS TIME THE APCH CTLR CLRED US FOR THE APCH. AS I STARTED THE DSCNT; SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND NEARING 2500 FT; THE CTLR TOLD US TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND TURN L 90 DEGS. HE ALSO TOLD ANOTHER ACFT TO DSND AND TURN 90 DEGS L. WE WERE IMC. HOWEVER; WE KNEW THAT WE HAD JUST EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS. AFTER WE HAD LANDED THE CTLR ASKED US TO CALL HIM. HE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD INDEED HAD A NEAR MISS WITH AN ACFT CLBING OUT OF SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE ARPT. HE TOLD US THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH; MAINTAIN 3000 FT. WE WERE APPARENTLY NOT TO DSND AS PER THE APCH PLATE EVEN THOUGH WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. BOTH MY CHIEF PLT AND MYSELF HAD FAILED TO HEAR 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' IT MAY BE THAT THE CTLR INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED THE 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT;' HOWEVER; TO INCLUDE AN ALT RESTR WITH 'CLR FOR THE APCH' SETS UP A SCENARIO FOR MISSED OR MISUNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS WHAT HAPPENED. ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN; I WILL INSURE THAT THERE ARE NO VERBAL ALT RESTRS IN THE 'CLRED FOR THE APCH' INSTRUCTIONS IN THE FUTURE.