Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 145; Flight Crew Total 12766; Flight Crew Type 9456
Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
We were on final outside of ZULAB on centerline of runway 31R and cleared for approach to the runway. We were originally cleared for ILS 31R and later cleared for visual to 31R with no traffic pointed out by ATC. Outside of ZULAB I saw an aircraft to our left on TCAS at 2000 feet while we were at 3000 feet. We had been given a speed assignment till 5 DME. I shortly acquired that aircraft. It was below us wandering into our final approach path. I asked the first officer to ask ATC what their intentions were for that aircraft; still in front and below us. ATC didn't immediately answer but when they did they said they were not talking to that aircraft. Absent any direction by ATC I decided to maintain 3000 feet and slow back to final approach speed to give ATC time to sort out the issue. The aircraft that had wandered into our final continued to turn left and moved out of our approach path and flew toward the 31L final path. Having slowed and configured for landing I waited till the aircraft was visually out of the 31R approach path and then descended to the runway and landed normally. Our safest course of action was to stay in a position that gave us a view of the wandering aircraft. If we had executed a go around we would have lost sight of the aircraft and not been able to react to any of their movements; up; down; left or right. And absent any directions from ATC we choose the safest course of action.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
An air carrier crew on final to JFK Runway 31R reported another air carrier over shot Runway 31L final and flew 1;000 feet beneath them on final. ATC was not talking to that aircraft nor relaying traffic information.