Narrative:

First officer was flying an FMS bridge visual to runway 28R at sfo. ATC asked if we saw an aircraft at our 8:30 O'clock position and I responded in the affirmative. We were instructed to maintain visual and I accepted that clearance but remarked that I didn't believe it would work out as that aircraft was behind me. I was told by ATC that he was faster and would land first. The B737 checked in on frequency and was asked if saw us; he said yes but complained that he was too fast. Norcal instructed us to slow down to 200 KTS which we did. As we approached the airport the B737 dropped farther behind our wing and I told norcal that this wasn't working. I was told I could land first and aircraft Y would land behind us. I informed norcal that we had now lost visual on the B737 and was instructed to contact sfo tower which we did and were subsequently cleared to land. The first officer flew a stable on GS approach. Approximately 800 ft we got a TCAS alert instructing us to climb. Looking over my left shoulder the B737 was above our GS and both descending and overtaking us rapidly. Additionally; there was a B777 on runway 28L just beginning its roll. The first officer started to comply with TCAS but I decided to overrule TCAS in that it was safer to continue on the GS as the B737 may have to go around for the B777; and I felt that 2 dissimilar aircraft going around was more risky; especially in light of the B737's erratic flight path. He shortly pulled up which appeared to be a go around then dumped his nose and dove for the runway. TCAS alert ended and we landed a couple of hundred yards behind him on runway 28R. I called norcal after the flight and asked them to review the tapes which they did. Norcal informed me that they intended to start an official investigation as their controller failed to follow procedures and safe separation was compromised. In my view the B737 pilot's unstable approach and failure to comply with the printed requirements of sfo charted visual approachs was the real problem. Separation on visual approachs continues to be a problem at sfo. I did a go around last month because the aircraft I was supposed to be following to the runway was slower than my approach speed would allow me to fly; norcal has a number of new controllers who erroneously believe that assigned speeds can be maintained until touchdown. I was told recently that a turbo-propeller behind my wing line would land first because he was doing 250 KTS. Of course when he slowed to approach speed he disappeared in my wake. This situation needs to be addressed before some wake-turbulence incident results in a fatality.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW REPORTS TCAS RA AT 800 FEET DURING VISUAL APPROACH TO RWY 28R AT SFO. FLT CREW CONTINUES TO LAND AFTER CONSIDERING GAR.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING AN FMS BRIDGE VISUAL TO RWY 28R AT SFO. ATC ASKED IF WE SAW AN ACFT AT OUR 8:30 O'CLOCK POS AND I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL AND I ACCEPTED THAT CLRNC BUT REMARKED THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WOULD WORK OUT AS THAT ACFT WAS BEHIND ME. I WAS TOLD BY ATC THAT HE WAS FASTER AND WOULD LAND FIRST. THE B737 CHKED IN ON FREQ AND WAS ASKED IF SAW US; HE SAID YES BUT COMPLAINED THAT HE WAS TOO FAST. NORCAL INSTRUCTED US TO SLOW DOWN TO 200 KTS WHICH WE DID. AS WE APCHED THE ARPT THE B737 DROPPED FARTHER BEHIND OUR WING AND I TOLD NORCAL THAT THIS WASN'T WORKING. I WAS TOLD I COULD LAND FIRST AND ACFT Y WOULD LAND BEHIND US. I INFORMED NORCAL THAT WE HAD NOW LOST VISUAL ON THE B737 AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT SFO TWR WHICH WE DID AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO LAND. THE FO FLEW A STABLE ON GS APCH. APPROX 800 FT WE GOT A TCAS ALERT INSTRUCTING US TO CLB. LOOKING OVER MY L SHOULDER THE B737 WAS ABOVE OUR GS AND BOTH DSNDING AND OVERTAKING US RAPIDLY. ADDITIONALLY; THERE WAS A B777 ON RWY 28L JUST BEGINNING ITS ROLL. THE FO STARTED TO COMPLY WITH TCAS BUT I DECIDED TO OVERRULE TCAS IN THAT IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE ON THE GS AS THE B737 MAY HAVE TO GO AROUND FOR THE B777; AND I FELT THAT 2 DISSIMILAR ACFT GOING AROUND WAS MORE RISKY; ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE B737'S ERRATIC FLT PATH. HE SHORTLY PULLED UP WHICH APPEARED TO BE A GAR THEN DUMPED HIS NOSE AND DOVE FOR THE RWY. TCAS ALERT ENDED AND WE LANDED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YARDS BEHIND HIM ON RWY 28R. I CALLED NORCAL AFTER THE FLT AND ASKED THEM TO REVIEW THE TAPES WHICH THEY DID. NORCAL INFORMED ME THAT THEY INTENDED TO START AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION AS THEIR CTLR FAILED TO FOLLOW PROCS AND SAFE SEPARATION WAS COMPROMISED. IN MY VIEW THE B737 PLT'S UNSTABLE APCH AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PRINTED REQUIREMENTS OF SFO CHARTED VISUAL APCHS WAS THE REAL PROB. SEPARATION ON VISUAL APCHS CONTINUES TO BE A PROB AT SFO. I DID A GAR LAST MONTH BECAUSE THE ACFT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING TO THE RWY WAS SLOWER THAN MY APCH SPD WOULD ALLOW ME TO FLY; NORCAL HAS A NUMBER OF NEW CTLRS WHO ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVE THAT ASSIGNED SPDS CAN BE MAINTAINED UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. I WAS TOLD RECENTLY THAT A TURBO-PROP BEHIND MY WING LINE WOULD LAND FIRST BECAUSE HE WAS DOING 250 KTS. OF COURSE WHEN HE SLOWED TO APCH SPD HE DISAPPEARED IN MY WAKE. THIS SITUATION NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOME WAKE-TURB INCIDENT RESULTS IN A FATALITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.