SR22
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 1200; Flight Crew Type 500
Other / Unknown
Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
I was cleared for a straight in Runway 17R APA coming in from the north/northwest. A jet was cleared for the visual 17L from the southwest. Intuitively I knew there was going to be a problem. I also thought that surely the Controller should know based on our relative distances and speeds that we'd have to cross paths. It was night and the Controller advised me of the traffic; which I had already been warned about by my on board traffic advisory system. Controller asked me and I confirmed I had the jet in sight. I was more or less over the Cherry Creek Reservoir at that point. Controller advised the jet of my whereabouts and (I recall) that I had the jet in sight. The Jet acknowledged but I don't recall if he acknowledged that he himself had ME in sight. I watched the jet grow in the windshield (it was descending and turning onto a right base for 17L. No time to turn hard right as we were no doubt closing at over 250 and I didn't want to lose sight of him under my left wing in the turn (I was indicating around 135 KTS). Turning left would have taken me into him and when I determined that he was descending 'on to me' I decided that climbing was not an option either because the jet might decide to unexpectedly level off. I needed to keep him in sight. I decided that maintaining my southerly heading but diving for the ground was the way to go. The jet passed right over me. I recall that we were both descending at high rates at the time. It seemed clear to me that the jet never saw me but I'm not sure.I have done formation flying and I understand the distances. When I got home; I called the Tower on the phone and the Controller was very defensive about it. He seemed to understand what had happened and the gravity of what the consequences could have been; but rather than being conciliatory and thoughtful he sounded agitated. I expressed my concerns. He did not respond except to say that the two of us were visual and it was our responsibility...and 'that's why he had us acknowledge that we could see each other'(quotes not exact). My tone was more of concern than of anger. The Controller could have put the jet on 17R and moved me over I suggested (I got silence).....or extended the jet's downwind...or he could give me a 360 or something...I've had controllers do that all the time. I most likely would have not written this up if the Controller had been even a little contrite and concerned. Frankly; he sounded like he was in a panic. My thinking is that notwithstanding our see and avoid obligations; this Controller inadvertently set the two of us up...and then relied on the crutch of our see and avoid obligations when the poop almost hit the (turbo) fan.
SR22 pilot reports a NMAC with a jet during a night visual approach to APA. The Tower cleared both aircraft for visual approaches; with the jet for 17L and the SR22 for 17R; requiring their flight paths to cross at some point during the approach