Air carrier B737 on charted visual approach was asked to follow a B757, captain reporter refused to call B757 in sight and approach controller put him on a vector to establish 4 NM separation. Reporter alleges that legal radar separation was lost during vector.

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Attributes
ACN	360599
Time
Date	199702
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : oak airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
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 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	controller : non radar pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	controller non radar : 3 flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	360599
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
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were on tipp toe visual to runway 28L sfo, asked to sight B757 at 2 O'clock position 4 mi -- not in sight. We asked if the B757 would follow us. Bay said we would be behind the B757. I asked for 4 mi separation since wind was from the north. Bay controller was upset and then vectored us around. Lost 7110.65 separation -- got within 2 mi. No visual separation in effect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737 ON CHARTED VISUAL APCH WAS ASKED TO FOLLOW A B757, CAPT RPTR REFUSED TO CALL B757 IN SIGHT AND APCH CTLR PUT HIM ON A VECTOR TO ESTABLISH 4 NM SEPARATION. RPTR ALLEGES THAT LEGAL RADAR SEPARATION WAS LOST DURING VECTOR.

Narrative: WE WERE ON TIPP TOE VISUAL TO RWY 28L SFO, ASKED TO SIGHT B757 AT 2 O'CLOCK POS 4 MI -- NOT IN SIGHT. WE ASKED IF THE B757 WOULD FOLLOW US. BAY SAID WE WOULD BE BEHIND THE B757. I ASKED FOR 4 MI SEPARATION SINCE WIND WAS FROM THE N. BAY CTLR WAS UPSET AND THEN VECTORED US AROUND. LOST 7110.65 SEPARATION -- GOT WITHIN 2 MI. NO VISUAL SEPARATION IN EFFECT.

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.