Narrative:

Parallel approachs to runways 28L & right with 2 aircraft spaced wingtip to wingtip are dangerous and are all tantamount to nmacs. It is very hard to fly a precision ILS flight path with the distraction of another airplane directly abeam at same altitude. In crosswind conditions, it is easy for an airplane to drift toward the other flight path and could potentially result in a midair collision. In addition, airplanes are sometimes spaced too closely in trail. I had to make a go around on approach to runway 28R (9/thu/88) because the airplane ahead did not clear the runway. The tower did not initiate the go around, and at 100' AGL I had to make that decision. Sfo is getting to be a dangerous place to fly into. Suggestion: displace the landing threshold on runway 28R by at least 4000'. That would still allow over 7000' to land on and provide some vertical sep (about 210') between apches to runways 28L & right. Also, the runway 28L G/south could be reduced from 3 to 2 1/2 degrees, and provide an additional 340' vertical sep at the OM (total of 550') which would be very comforting to pilots compared to the dangerous situation we now have. Another more expensive long term solution would be to fill in the bay north of the airport and build another parallel 28 runway (north of approach end of runway 19L & right).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FORCED TO MAKE GO AROUND WHEN PRECEDING ACFT DID NOT CLEAR RWY IN TIME.

Narrative: PARALLEL APCHS TO RWYS 28L & R WITH 2 ACFT SPACED WINGTIP TO WINGTIP ARE DANGEROUS AND ARE ALL TANTAMOUNT TO NMACS. IT IS VERY HARD TO FLY A PRECISION ILS FLT PATH WITH THE DISTR OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE DIRECTLY ABEAM AT SAME ALT. IN XWIND CONDITIONS, IT IS EASY FOR AN AIRPLANE TO DRIFT TOWARD THE OTHER FLT PATH AND COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. IN ADDITION, AIRPLANES ARE SOMETIMES SPACED TOO CLOSELY IN TRAIL. I HAD TO MAKE A GO AROUND ON APCH TO RWY 28R (9/THU/88) BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE AHEAD DID NOT CLR THE RWY. THE TWR DID NOT INITIATE THE GO AROUND, AND AT 100' AGL I HAD TO MAKE THAT DECISION. SFO IS GETTING TO BE A DANGEROUS PLACE TO FLY INTO. SUGGESTION: DISPLACE THE LNDG THRESHOLD ON RWY 28R BY AT LEAST 4000'. THAT WOULD STILL ALLOW OVER 7000' TO LAND ON AND PROVIDE SOME VERT SEP (ABOUT 210') BTWN APCHES TO RWYS 28L & R. ALSO, THE RWY 28L G/S COULD BE REDUCED FROM 3 TO 2 1/2 DEGS, AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 340' VERT SEP AT THE OM (TOTAL OF 550') WHICH WOULD BE VERY COMFORTING TO PLTS COMPARED TO THE DANGEROUS SITUATION WE NOW HAVE. ANOTHER MORE EXPENSIVE LONG TERM SOLUTION WOULD BE TO FILL IN THE BAY N OF THE ARPT AND BUILD ANOTHER PARALLEL 28 RWY (N OF APCH END OF RWY 19L & R).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.