Narrative:

Visual approachs to runway 28L&right in progress. We were cleared for the quiet bridge visual to runway 28R. Other traffic was cleared, reference us for a visual tip-toe to runway 28L. At about 4 mi from the runway at approximately 1000-1200 ft AGL our TCASII alerted us 'traffic, traffic,' 'monitor vertical speed,' 'descend, descend.' I immediately looked at the ivsi, disconnected the autoplt, started a descent. Noticed a red intruder TCASII square superimposed on our aircraft symbol indicating 100 ft above us. All this occurring within 10 seconds. As I started to turn my peripheral vision caused me to look left and there was another airliner about 100-200 ft off my left wing. We were still north of our runway (28R) centerline which convinced me to initiate a go around. According to sfo tower chief these close proximity approachs are normal and expected so that both aircraft can touch down on runway 28R&left at the same time, allowing expeditious takeoffs from runways 1L&right. This crew has no such information provided to us to warn us of this procedure. I feel that, although the intruding crew had us in sight, they used poor judgement in coming up on us so closely as to scare me out of my wits. This crews' procedure for conducting this approach calls for turning off the TCASII RA function. This near miss only reinforces that turning off the RA function below 2000 ft AGL, as is the case with my procedures, is a bad idea. If I'm about to die in a midair, I personally don't care how close to the ground a warning may occur. I would like to have the option of a warning and a chance to do something about it. The visuals at sfo need to be reviewed for any other dangerous setups and I would highly recommend at least 500 ft of trail spacing to ensure safety. I was convinced that the TCASII saved us from a disaster. Also, any time an airport has approachs that space aircraft very closely, there should be a plain english caution in the ATIS and also the tower should announce to incommers who may be new to the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT MADE A GAR WHEN ANOTHER ACR ACFT CAME TOO CLOSE ON THE SFO VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 28L&R IN PROGRESS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL TO RWY 28R. OTHER TFC WAS CLRED, REF US FOR A VISUAL TIP-TOE TO RWY 28L. AT ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE RWY AT APPROX 1000-1200 FT AGL OUR TCASII ALERTED US 'TFC, TFC,' 'MONITOR VERT SPD,' 'DSND, DSND.' I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE IVSI, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, STARTED A DSCNT. NOTICED A RED INTRUDER TCASII SQUARE SUPERIMPOSED ON OUR ACFT SYMBOL INDICATING 100 FT ABOVE US. ALL THIS OCCURRING WITHIN 10 SECONDS. AS I STARTED TO TURN MY PERIPHERAL VISION CAUSED ME TO LOOK L AND THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRLINER ABOUT 100-200 FT OFF MY L WING. WE WERE STILL N OF OUR RWY (28R) CTRLINE WHICH CONVINCED ME TO INITIATE A GAR. ACCORDING TO SFO TWR CHIEF THESE CLOSE PROX APCHS ARE NORMAL AND EXPECTED SO THAT BOTH ACFT CAN TOUCH DOWN ON RWY 28R&L AT THE SAME TIME, ALLOWING EXPEDITIOUS TKOFS FROM RWYS 1L&R. THIS CREW HAS NO SUCH INFO PROVIDED TO US TO WARN US OF THIS PROC. I FEEL THAT, ALTHOUGH THE INTRUDING CREW HAD US IN SIGHT, THEY USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN COMING UP ON US SO CLOSELY AS TO SCARE ME OUT OF MY WITS. THIS CREWS' PROC FOR CONDUCTING THIS APCH CALLS FOR TURNING OFF THE TCASII RA FUNCTION. THIS NEAR MISS ONLY REINFORCES THAT TURNING OFF THE RA FUNCTION BELOW 2000 FT AGL, AS IS THE CASE WITH MY PROCS, IS A BAD IDEA. IF I'M ABOUT TO DIE IN A MIDAIR, I PERSONALLY DON'T CARE HOW CLOSE TO THE GND A WARNING MAY OCCUR. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPTION OF A WARNING AND A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE VISUALS AT SFO NEED TO BE REVIEWED FOR ANY OTHER DANGEROUS SETUPS AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND AT LEAST 500 FT OF TRAIL SPACING TO ENSURE SAFETY. I WAS CONVINCED THAT THE TCASII SAVED US FROM A DISASTER. ALSO, ANY TIME AN ARPT HAS APCHS THAT SPACE ACFT VERY CLOSELY, THERE SHOULD BE A PLAIN ENGLISH CAUTION IN THE ATIS AND ALSO THE TWR SHOULD ANNOUNCE TO INCOMMERS WHO MAY BE NEW TO THE AREA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.