B737 EXPERIENCED TCASII TA INBOUND TO LAS.

Narrative

WE WERE DSNDING INTO LAS ON KSINO ARR FROM NE. WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 12000 FT (VERSUS 'DSND VIA') AFTER LUXOR. WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL. APCH GAVE US DSCNT TO 10000 FT. TFC ON THE FREQ WAS MODERATE. APPROX 18 MI FROM FIELD; WE ASKED IF WE COULD EXPECT RWY 25R AS WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE HIGH FOR A BASE LEG (TO SAY THE LEAST). HE REPLIED WITH 'EXPECT L DOWNWIND; PROCEED DIRECT LAS VOR AND DSND TO 9000 FT.' WE COMPLIED. AT APPROX 10-12 MI FROM VOR; WE WERE GIVEN 'DSND TO 8000 FT; THEN SLOW TO 170 KTS AND TURN TO 180 DEGS.' I STARTED DOWN SLOWLY; TO DSND AND BLEED OFF SPD; MY FO SAID 'WE'VE GOT SOME TFC OVER HERE.' NEXT THE TCASII TA ALERTED AND FROM WHAT I RECALL; SHOWED ABOUT 500 FT BELOW AND LESS THAN 5 MI. WE WERE ALREADY IN THE TURN; SO I TIGHTENED IT UP TO AROUND 30+ DEGS OF BANK TO GAIN NOSE-TO-TAIL SEPARATION. THE FO CALLED OUT TO THE CTLR 'WE'VE GOT A VISUAL ON THE TFC TO THE R.' THE CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 110 DEGS. NEXT HE GAVE THE TFC (I ASSUME GOING TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 1) A R TURN TO 180 DEG HDG. TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE. NEXT WE WERE SWITCHED TO FINAL (135.0). WE WERE SWITCHED TO FINAL LNDG 110 DEGS AND 8000 FT. FINAL GAVE US A DSCNT TO 7000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND WERE THEN GIVEN A 075 DEG HDG AND 6000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND THEN PROCEEDED ON DOWNWIND FOR SEVERAL MI AS HE WORKED DEPS OFF LAS. THE FREQ WAS EXCESSIVELY BUSY. WE PROCEEDED TO 20 MI FROM ARPT AT 6000 FT; WHICH IS UNDERNEATH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND JUST ABOUT 10 MI FROM RISING TERRAIN (6000 FT ON THE CHART). EVERY XMISSION WAS MADE AT THE LAST MIN. I CALLED THE SUPVR ABOUT OUR INCIDENT AND I INQUIRED ABOUT THE FINAL CTLR WORKING DEPS. HE SAID THAT IS NORMAL FOR THIS CONFIGN (LNDG RWY 1/25; DEPARTING RWY 1). I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN AND HE REPLIED 'THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY WORK IT.' AS A FORMER RADAR CTLR; I'VE NEVER WORKED OR HEARD OF COMBINING FINAL WITH DEPS EXCEPT AT THE SLOWEST OF FACILITIES. I THINK THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE SIT.