Narrative:

Inbound to sfo on quiet bridge cvfp. On approach on sfo 095 radial, approach gave clearance to 4000 ft. Then restr descent to 5000 ft. We then saw an air carrier Y widebody transport turn base ahead of us. The widebody transport widely overshot its turn to final, ended up over foster city and possibly west of the bayshore freeway. Once the airplane got headed for the airport, the controller gave us the following clearance. Air carrier X pass the widebody transport, land ahead of it, cleared for the approach. When this clearance was given, we were over brijj intersection at 5000 ft MSL (6 NM from the 28 thresholds). The widebody transport was 2 mi ahead of us and 4 mi from the airport. Needles to say, I refused the approach and instructed the controller to take us back out and do it correctly. We then successfully completed the approach. This was the most blatant, bizarre, and dangerous ATC clearance I have been given in 27 yrs of flying. It reinforced my image that, at bay TRACON, absolutely anything is tolerated that expedites traffic. I was further disappointed by the controller's comment when we signed off of thanking us for our cooperation. And these people want to run a complex side-by/lda operation! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain flies for a major united states air carrier. He is on the safety committee for his pilot's union and seems to be someone who is vitally interested in doing things the safe way. He reports that 2 of his fellow crew members were 'put on the beach' for a month when they crossed the sfo localizer centerline and got in the airspace of another aircraft. Apparently, the attitude of the bay TRACON representatives at the hearing was one of exaltation, as the 'deal' could be easily hung on the pilots. The reporter pointed out that, in his incident, it would have been impossible for him to have passed the aircraft ahead and still be able to land at sfo. The reporter called bay TRACON when on the ground and found that there was training in progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG REFUSED AN ILLEGAL AND IMPOSSIBLE INSTRUCTION TO PASS ANOTHER ACFT ON A VISUAL SIDE-BY-SIDE APCH TO SFO.

Narrative: INBOUND TO SFO ON QUIET BRIDGE CVFP. ON APCH ON SFO 095 RADIAL, APCH GAVE CLRNC TO 4000 FT. THEN RESTR DSCNT TO 5000 FT. WE THEN SAW AN ACR Y WDB TURN BASE AHEAD OF US. THE WDB WIDELY OVERSHOT ITS TURN TO FINAL, ENDED UP OVER FOSTER CITY AND POSSIBLY W OF THE BAYSHORE FREEWAY. ONCE THE AIRPLANE GOT HEADED FOR THE ARPT, THE CTLR GAVE US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC. ACR X PASS THE WDB, LAND AHEAD OF IT, CLRED FOR THE APCH. WHEN THIS CLRNC WAS GIVEN, WE WERE OVER BRIJJ INTXN AT 5000 FT MSL (6 NM FROM THE 28 THRESHOLDS). THE WDB WAS 2 MI AHEAD OF US AND 4 MI FROM THE ARPT. NEEDLES TO SAY, I REFUSED THE APCH AND INSTRUCTED THE CTLR TO TAKE US BACK OUT AND DO IT CORRECTLY. WE THEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE APCH. THIS WAS THE MOST BLATANT, BIZARRE, AND DANGEROUS ATC CLRNC I HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN 27 YRS OF FLYING. IT REINFORCED MY IMAGE THAT, AT BAY TRACON, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING IS TOLERATED THAT EXPEDITES TFC. I WAS FURTHER DISAPPOINTED BY THE CTLR'S COMMENT WHEN WE SIGNED OFF OF THANKING US FOR OUR COOPERATION. AND THESE PEOPLE WANT TO RUN A COMPLEX SIDE-BY/LDA OP! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT FLIES FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE IS ON THE SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR HIS PLT'S UNION AND SEEMS TO BE SOMEONE WHO IS VITALLY INTERESTED IN DOING THINGS THE SAFE WAY. HE RPTS THAT 2 OF HIS FELLOW CREW MEMBERS WERE 'PUT ON THE BEACH' FOR A MONTH WHEN THEY CROSSED THE SFO LOC CTRLINE AND GOT IN THE AIRSPACE OF ANOTHER ACFT. APPARENTLY, THE ATTITUDE OF THE BAY TRACON REPRESENTATIVES AT THE HEARING WAS ONE OF EXALTATION, AS THE 'DEAL' COULD BE EASILY HUNG ON THE PLTS. THE RPTR POINTED OUT THAT, IN HIS INCIDENT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO HAVE PASSED THE ACFT AHEAD AND STILL BE ABLE TO LAND AT SFO. THE RPTR CALLED BAY TRACON WHEN ON THE GND AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

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.