A POTENTIAL CONFLICT EXISTED BTWN 2 B737'S WHEN THE APCH CTLR GIVES AN ERRONEOUS CLRNC TO ACR X; THINKING THAT THIS NEW CLRNC WAS GOING TO PROVIDE SEPARATION.

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WHILE ON THE ARLIN 9 ARR INTO PHX; THE TRACON CTLR RPTED TFC THAT WAS CLBING OUTBOUND FROM PHX ON THEIR WAY TOWARDS ELP. HE (THE CTLR) ADVISED US THAT IT WAS A B737 OPERATED BY Y AIRLINES. THE PNF ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND THAT THEY WERE NOT IN SIGHT. AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME; WE WERE DSNDING TO AN ALT OF 9000 FT MSL. SOMETIME BEFORE REACHING 9000 FT; THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND AN ALT OF 7000 FT MSL. AGAIN HE RPTED THE CLBING TFC AND ASKED IF THEY WERE IN SIGHT. THE PNF STILL RPTED THAT THE Y AIRLINE ACFT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. THEN THE CTLR WENT BACK TO GIVING DIRECTIONS TO OTHER LCL TFC. IN THE MEANTIME; THE PNF SPOTTED THE B737 AND WAS GOING TO RPT THE TFC IN SIGHT; BUT THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY DIRECTING OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. AS WE LEVELED AT 7000 FT; THE CTLR RPTED TO THE Y ACFT THAT THE X AIRLINER (US) HAD FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT MSL AND WAS NOW AT THEIR 12 O'CLOCK; SAME ALT; MOVING R TO L. Y AIRLINES RPTED US IN SIGHT; THEN THE CTLR GAVE THEM A R CLBING TURN TO 9000 FT AND DIRECTED US (X ACFT) TO FLY A HDG OF 050 DEGS. TCASII SOUNDED 'TFC; TFC' (TA). I LOOKED AT THE TCASII INDICATOR (WHICH WAS ON THE 5 MI RANGE) AND SAW THE Y ACFT DISPLAYED APPROX AT THE 8:30 O'CLOCK POS; SOMEWHERE AROUND 3 MI; 500 FT ABOVE US AND CLBING. AT NO TIME WAS THERE AN RA. THE PNF CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT TO THE CTLR; PLUS STATING THAT HE (THE CTLR) HAD CLRED US TO 7000 FT ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS. THEN SHE ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO CALL HIM WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'NO; THAT ISN'T NECESSARY.' THE FLT CONTINUED AND WAS PASSED ONTO ANOTHER CTLR; LNDG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHEN WE WALKED INTO Y AIRLINES FLT OPS (PHX) THE CAPT CALLED PHX TRACON. WHOMEVER SHE TALKED WITH; TOLD HER THAT 'WE' WERE OFF THE HOOK; BECAUSE IT WAS HIS (THE CTLR'S ) MISTAKE. THE CAPT MADE IT CLR THAT THE CALL WAS NOT TO PLACE BLAME ON ANYONE; NOR WAS IT TO 'GET US OFF THE HOOK' WITH ATC; BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYTHING NEEDED TO BE EXPLAINED OR DONE; SHE WAS ON THE PHONE TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. NOTHING ELSE WAS DISCUSSED AND THE CONVERSATION ENDED. IN RETROSPECT; THE UNUSUAL HDG OF 090 ALONG WITH THE ALT 7000 FT MSL; SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED. THOSE 2 ITEMS ARE FAR FROM BEING NORMAL WHEN ARRIVING ON THE ARLIN 9 ARR.