A flight crew on a tiptoe visual to sfo and parallel aircraft were unable to maintain visual separation as clouds drifted across approach path and executed a go around.

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Attributes
ACN	438422
Time
Date	199905
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : bridge
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : charted visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	438422
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed missed approach
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA Weather
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

Cleared tiptoe visual runway 28L at sfo. Assigned to maintain visual separation with another plane on quiet bridge visual runway 28R. Both aircraft converge until side-by-side, then fly parallel to landing on parallel runways. WX was 1200 ft broken and clouds were mainly over the airport but were drifting eastward over the final approach course. Inside the FAF, the other aircraft started to go in and out of clouds. Moments later, the other aircraft went around. Clearly, visual approachs should not have been used. However, the airport's arrival rate is severely constrained without the use of these arrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC ON A TIPTOE VISUAL TO SFO AND PARALLEL ACFT WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AS CLOUDS DRIFTED ACROSS APCH PATH AND EXECUTED A GAR.

Narrative: CLRED TIPTOE VISUAL RWY 28L AT SFO. ASSIGNED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER PLANE ON QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R. BOTH ACFT CONVERGE UNTIL SIDE-BY-SIDE, THEN FLY PARALLEL TO LNDG ON PARALLEL RWYS. WX WAS 1200 FT BROKEN AND CLOUDS WERE MAINLY OVER THE ARPT BUT WERE DRIFTING EASTWARD OVER THE FINAL APCH COURSE. INSIDE THE FAF, THE OTHER ACFT STARTED TO GO IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. MOMENTS LATER, THE OTHER ACFT WENT AROUND. CLRLY, VISUAL APCHS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED. HOWEVER, THE ARPT'S ARR RATE IS SEVERELY CONSTRAINED WITHOUT THE USE OF THESE ARRS.

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.