Narrative:

We (aircraft X) were inbound to oak from the east. I was the captain, the first officer was flying the airplane on autoplt. We were at 5000 ft on a vector to intercept the localizer to runway 29 outside of the FAF. Approximately 20 mi from the airport, I reported the airport in sight to bay approach. The controller cleared us for a visual approach with the standard restr to cross 6 mi from oak at or above 2000 ft. The first officer initiated descent to 2000 ft at 250 KTS. He was making small heading changes to the right to intercept the final approach inside the FAF and as a result we were at 5-15 degrees of right bank most of the time. His attention was primarily on the airport which was to the right of the airplane's nose. I was making entries in the FMC, looking up the tower frequency, and monitoring our progress. When we were 10-12 mi we were approaching 2000 ft on a westerly heading. I looked straight ahead and saw a C172/182 (aircraft Y) on a northerly heading at 11:30 O'clock position relative to our nose, approximately 1-2 mi ahead. The cessna stood out against the backgnd of the water at the southern end of the bay, which was backlit by the setting sun. The controller was talking to several airplanes but he had not given us any TA's. Neither the first officer nor either of the 2 jump seaters had seen the airplanes. I pointed the airplane out to the first officer. It soon became apparent from his constant bearing and rapidly decreasing range that we were on a collision course. The first officer disconnected the autoplt, leveled the wings, and started a slight climb. We passed approximately 1000-1500 ft behind the cessna and 100-200 ft higher than him. I told the controller we were climbing to avoid an airplane. He said, 'oh I see him now. He's at 2100 ft. Probably landing at hayward.' the cessna appeared to be flying just outside the edge of the class B airspace. Our airplane is one of the few large airplanes in this country not equipped with TCASII. Because it is a cargo airplane, the FAA has allowed the owner to operate it without TCASII. Radar failed to provide protection against a midair in this case. The only thing that prevented a tragedy was the outmoded principle of 'see and be seen.' the FAA's failure to mandate TCASII in cargo airplanes will result in a midair someday.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO, NON TCASII EQUIPPED B757 FLC INITIATES PRECAUTIONARY AVOIDANCE MANEUVER ON FINAL APCH TO OAK ARPT WHEN OBSERVING A C172 CROSS IN FRONT OF AND BENEATH THE B757, UNDERFLYING SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE. ATC OBSERVED C172 AFTER ALERTED BY THE FLC. PIC CONCERNED THAT NON TCASII EQUIPPED CARGO ACFT ARE AT PROTECTION RISK FROM OTHER NON TCASII ACFT.

Narrative: WE (ACFT X) WERE INBOUND TO OAK FROM THE E. I WAS THE CAPT, THE FO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE ON AUTOPLT. WE WERE AT 5000 FT ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC TO RWY 29 OUTSIDE OF THE FAF. APPROX 20 MI FROM THE ARPT, I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT TO BAY APCH. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH WITH THE STANDARD RESTR TO CROSS 6 MI FROM OAK AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT. THE FO INITIATED DSCNT TO 2000 FT AT 250 KTS. HE WAS MAKING SMALL HDG CHANGES TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH INSIDE THE FAF AND AS A RESULT WE WERE AT 5-15 DEGS OF R BANK MOST OF THE TIME. HIS ATTN WAS PRIMARILY ON THE ARPT WHICH WAS TO THE R OF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. I WAS MAKING ENTRIES IN THE FMC, LOOKING UP THE TWR FREQ, AND MONITORING OUR PROGRESS. WHEN WE WERE 10-12 MI WE WERE APCHING 2000 FT ON A WESTERLY HDG. I LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SAW A C172/182 (ACFT Y) ON A NORTHERLY HDG AT 11:30 O'CLOCK POS RELATIVE TO OUR NOSE, APPROX 1-2 MI AHEAD. THE CESSNA STOOD OUT AGAINST THE BACKGND OF THE WATER AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BAY, WHICH WAS BACKLIT BY THE SETTING SUN. THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO SEVERAL AIRPLANES BUT HE HAD NOT GIVEN US ANY TA'S. NEITHER THE FO NOR EITHER OF THE 2 JUMP SEATERS HAD SEEN THE AIRPLANES. I POINTED THE AIRPLANE OUT TO THE FO. IT SOON BECAME APPARENT FROM HIS CONSTANT BEARING AND RAPIDLY DECREASING RANGE THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE. THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, LEVELED THE WINGS, AND STARTED A SLIGHT CLB. WE PASSED APPROX 1000-1500 FT BEHIND THE CESSNA AND 100-200 FT HIGHER THAN HIM. I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE CLBING TO AVOID AN AIRPLANE. HE SAID, 'OH I SEE HIM NOW. HE'S AT 2100 FT. PROBABLY LNDG AT HAYWARD.' THE CESSNA APPEARED TO BE FLYING JUST OUTSIDE THE EDGE OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. OUR AIRPLANE IS ONE OF THE FEW LARGE AIRPLANES IN THIS COUNTRY NOT EQUIPPED WITH TCASII. BECAUSE IT IS A CARGO AIRPLANE, THE FAA HAS ALLOWED THE OWNER TO OPERATE IT WITHOUT TCASII. RADAR FAILED TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST A MIDAIR IN THIS CASE. THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTED A TRAGEDY WAS THE OUTMODED PRINCIPLE OF 'SEE AND BE SEEN.' THE FAA'S FAILURE TO MANDATE TCASII IN CARGO AIRPLANES WILL RESULT IN A MIDAIR SOMEDAY.

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.