Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Airspace Structure
Arriving into DEN 16R; we overshot 16R final approach course due to late approach clearance. The weather was clear so I corrected visually to make a smooth and gradual joining of the extended centerline. Soon after; I noticed via ATC; TCAS; and visually; 737 traffic rapidly approaching our flight path. The plane had overshot 16L and was turning base to final. ATC notified that traffic was correcting course to land on 16L. However; based on our location at the time; (we were still to the right of course of 16R due to overshoot) and the location of the 737; it appeared that the traffic had overshot both 16L and 16R and was lining up to our runway; with less than a mile separation just behind us. My last visual with the 737 was about 7'clock and less than a mile. From there; we received 3 separate RA alerts to descend. I complied with the RA and the 737 resulted in going around. The conflict was resolved at that time. We met the stable flight criteria well before 1000 feet and landed safely.Threat and error was late approach clearance by the ATC for the other traffic resulting in overshooting both his runway; parallel runway and resulting in a near miss with our aircraft. Undesired aircraft state was multiple RA warnings in approach phase close to the ground with a traffic right behind us. Ideally; we wanted to prompt the ATC for our approach clearance in time to join the final. However due to radio congestion; we were unable. Even if we had joined our runway earlier; that would've caused us to be even closer to the 737 that overshot 16L. We can always try to improve our vigilance in scanning of traffic especially in the terminal area. I highly encourage the company to address the issue in DEN about traffic separation landing on parallel runways. I've personally heard of multiple incidents of TA and RA warnings on approach from other crews resulting in an undesirable aircraft state.
At no point did we feel a go around would have helped us; as every RA was to descend. I should have called out the loss of traffic when they were behind us and the right of our position as indicated by TCAS. That would have alerted ATC as to the seriousness of the situation; helping them to focus on traffic separation with the 737 instead of landing traffic ahead. I don't believe we can change anything in policy; but I do believe Denver ATC should treat 16L/R parallel traffic more seriously; not vectoring us with hard intercepts when parallel traffic was present. We observed the 737 at full 30+ bank to intercept their final. Whether due to Pilot or ATC error; the situation was not recognized for what it was until 500ft separation. I believe that is due to Denver culture that TAs are normal in that this 'happens all the time.'
EMB-145XR flight crew reported they received multiple RAs on approach to DEN when a 737 overshot final approach course.