Narrative:

Our scheduled air carrier flight was flying lax-sfo and on the bsr runway 28 profile descent. We were outside sfo and cleared the tipp toe approach. There did not seem to be any conflict involved, but while flying, tuning, reading the complicated approach plate and watching other traffic, we crossed over the 28L approach path into the 28r5 path. We corrected immediately. We did not see any conflict at the time, although we blended back into a parallel approach closer in. We are an east coast crew, and find these ca procedures keep us 'heads down' for an inordinate time--especially when there is an inadequate warning as to which approach will be given. I realize ATC is overworked, and has a hard time giving more warning about what approach to expect. I feel with this kind of approach, radar vectors would be a great help rather than a lot of heads down navigating close to the airport when it is a visibility situation. I find ca has the strangest visibility approachs, especially when you have to navigation by roads, stadiums, oil wells, etc, on a visibility. It is just not safe, and until I am more conditioned/familiar, no more for me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION. NON ADHERENCE TO VISUAL APCH PROC TO SFO.

Narrative: OUR SCHEDULED ACR FLT WAS FLYING LAX-SFO AND ON THE BSR RWY 28 PROFILE DSCNT. WE WERE OUTSIDE SFO AND CLRED THE TIPP TOE APCH. THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY CONFLICT INVOLVED, BUT WHILE FLYING, TUNING, READING THE COMPLICATED APCH PLATE AND WATCHING OTHER TFC, WE CROSSED OVER THE 28L APCH PATH INTO THE 28R5 PATH. WE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. WE DID NOT SEE ANY CONFLICT AT THE TIME, ALTHOUGH WE BLENDED BACK INTO A PARALLEL APCH CLOSER IN. WE ARE AN E COAST CREW, AND FIND THESE CA PROCS KEEP US 'HEADS DOWN' FOR AN INORDINATE TIME--ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS AN INADEQUATE WARNING AS TO WHICH APCH WILL BE GIVEN. I REALIZE ATC IS OVERWORKED, AND HAS A HARD TIME GIVING MORE WARNING ABOUT WHAT APCH TO EXPECT. I FEEL WITH THIS KIND OF APCH, RADAR VECTORS WOULD BE A GREAT HELP RATHER THAN A LOT OF HEADS DOWN NAVIGATING CLOSE TO THE ARPT WHEN IT IS A VIS SITUATION. I FIND CA HAS THE STRANGEST VIS APCHS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE TO NAV BY ROADS, STADIUMS, OIL WELLS, ETC, ON A VIS. IT IS JUST NOT SAFE, AND UNTIL I AM MORE CONDITIONED/FAMILIAR, NO MORE FOR ME.

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.