Air carrier X encountered wake turbulence from B757 while on visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	300211
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	300211
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared for tipp-toe visual of runway 28L. Bay asked us to look for 'company traffic 12 O'clock 5 mi on base for runway 28R.' we responded not in sight. A min later he said, 'your traffic is now 12 O'clock 4 mi a heavy 747, do you see him?' I said, 'negative, will he be behind us?' he then said, 'cancel approach clearance, maintain 4000 ft turn left heading 180 degrees.' obviously he was going to put us right behind the 747 without any wake turbulence separation. He didn't tell us he was a heavy until it was too late to make a wake turbulence avoidance plan. We got vectored back around for a visual approach to runway 28L. He put us in front of a B737 for runway 28R and told us to maintain visual separation. We said 'no,' he's behind us. Then he vectored us 3 mi in trail of B757. We confirmed this on our TCASII - controller lied and said the 757 was at 4 mi. We accepted the clearance because we had to land sometime. Got into the 757's wake at 100 ft as we landed on runway 28L. Wind 030 degrees at 6 KTS, right into us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB FROM B757 WHILE ON VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED FOR TIPP-TOE VISUAL OF RWY 28L. BAY ASKED US TO LOOK FOR 'COMPANY TFC 12 O'CLOCK 5 MI ON BASE FOR RWY 28R.' WE RESPONDED NOT IN SIGHT. A MIN LATER HE SAID, 'YOUR TFC IS NOW 12 O'CLOCK 4 MI A HVY 747, DO YOU SEE HIM?' I SAID, 'NEGATIVE, WILL HE BE BEHIND US?' HE THEN SAID, 'CANCEL APCH CLRNC, MAINTAIN 4000 FT TURN L HDG 180 DEGS.' OBVIOUSLY HE WAS GOING TO PUT US RIGHT BEHIND THE 747 WITHOUT ANY WAKE TURB SEPARATION. HE DIDN'T TELL US HE WAS A HVY UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO MAKE A WAKE TURB AVOIDANCE PLAN. WE GOT VECTORED BACK AROUND FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. HE PUT US IN FRONT OF A B737 FOR RWY 28R AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WE SAID 'NO,' HE'S BEHIND US. THEN HE VECTORED US 3 MI IN TRAIL OF B757. WE CONFIRMED THIS ON OUR TCASII - CTLR LIED AND SAID THE 757 WAS AT 4 MI. WE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC BECAUSE WE HAD TO LAND SOMETIME. GOT INTO THE 757'S WAKE AT 100 FT AS WE LANDED ON RWY 28L. WIND 030 DEGS AT 6 KTS, RIGHT INTO US.

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.