Narrative:

On arrival at sfo my airplane (X) was cleared to intercept the 095 degree sfo VOR right for an anticipated visibility approach to sfo. On turning to the intercept on a 095 degree heading on the 095 degree right at 8000', my crew and I were startled to see an aircraft (Y) about 10 seconds away, closing rapidly on an exact opp heading slightly above our aircraft. According to ATC, we cleared this airplane by 5000'. He crossed exactly over our aircraft. Bay approach did not point this airplane out ot our flight as traffic, but did warn the other aircraft that we were inbound and we rogered in sight as traffic to bay approach. I feel the danger here lies in the fact that at night it is extremely difficult to place traffic when so close so that either party could, through evasive action, turn or climb, etc, into a dangerous position. I was informed that VFR traffic flies this route constantly, which certainly ups the odds of conflict with IFR traffic, since the route being flown by IFR traffic's on the 095 degree right. Seems like one part or the other should take a different path, so that all or most situations would avoid conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT SAW SMT PASS OVERHEAD WEHILE ON DESCENT AND ARR INTO SFO.

Narrative: ON ARR AT SFO MY AIRPLANE (X) WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE 095 DEG SFO VOR R FOR AN ANTICIPATED VIS APCH TO SFO. ON TURNING TO THE INTERCEPT ON A 095 DEG HDG ON THE 095 DEG R AT 8000', MY CREW AND I WERE STARTLED TO SEE AN ACFT (Y) ABOUT 10 SECS AWAY, CLOSING RAPIDLY ON AN EXACT OPP HDG SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR ACFT. ACCORDING TO ATC, WE CLRED THIS AIRPLANE BY 5000'. HE CROSSED EXACTLY OVER OUR ACFT. BAY APCH DID NOT POINT THIS AIRPLANE OUT OT OUR FLT AS TFC, BUT DID WARN THE OTHER ACFT THAT WE WERE INBND AND WE ROGERED IN SIGHT AS TFC TO BAY APCH. I FEEL THE DANGER HERE LIES IN THE FACT THAT AT NIGHT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PLACE TFC WHEN SO CLOSE SO THAT EITHER PARTY COULD, THROUGH EVASIVE ACTION, TURN OR CLB, ETC, INTO A DANGEROUS POS. I WAS INFORMED THAT VFR TFC FLIES THIS ROUTE CONSTANTLY, WHICH CERTAINLY UPS THE ODDS OF CONFLICT WITH IFR TFC, SINCE THE ROUTE BEING FLOWN BY IFR TFC'S ON THE 095 DEG R. SEEMS LIKE ONE PART OR THE OTHER SHOULD TAKE A DIFFERENT PATH, SO THAT ALL OR MOST SITUATIONS WOULD AVOID CONFLICT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.