Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 190; Flight Crew Total 4930; Flight Crew Type 285
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure
We were being vectored onto a visual approach for Runway 35 at 3000 ft in VMC conditions. We were never assigned a speed; so I was flying at 240 knots until we were about 3 miles from crossing over the final approach course for Runway 35. The FO (First Officer) and I had noted that the Controller working Approach was 'behind the curve;' sounding frazzled and rushed over the radio. He had not given us any new instructions for several minutes; and we were about to cross the final approach course; so we asked to make sure he wanted us to go through the course. He responded with a heading that'd put us on a nice course towards the runway's final approach. However; we soon noticed that our TCAS was showing us less than 6 miles from a plane at about the 1 o'clock position; so we asked about it. We were told to turn right to a heading of 090 'now'; which would point us towards the airplane for a time during our turn. I went ahead and complied; but asked about turning left; away from the aircraft. They stuck with their initial instruction; so I kept turning in HDG mode with the autopilot. Soon; the FO visually spotted the plane and it was on a collision course with us. When I saw it a couple of seconds later; I turned off the autopilot; banked to 45 degrees in the right turn; started a slow climb; and chopped the power to make the turn tighter. We never got an RA; but we did receive the 'TRAFFIC; TRAFFIC' caution from the TCAS. The cause was probably a lack of experience from the ATC controller; putting him behind the aircraft he was controlling. I questioned ATC; turned off automation; and took corrective action to avoid getting closer to the conflicting aircraft.
Air Carrier First Officer attributed a traffic conflict on approach to PHL to apparent controller inexperience.