Air carrier being vectored by nct was not given instructions to turn and intercept the final for run...

Attributes
ACN	961807
Time
Date	201107
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	NCT.TRACON
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200 Flight Crew Total 19000 Flight Crew Type 2500
Person 2
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

Being vectored to final for 28R; received instruction from norcal; 'fly heading 210 maintain 3000.' the controller was very busy with VFR traffic and we were never told to intercept 28R. There was traffic; 737; intercepting 28L at our altitude; approaching centerline; we were unable to get in with ATC; I turned away from the traffic and the first officer was able to report to ATC we had turned away from traffic at that time we were cleared for the visual for 28R; at the gate I called ATC and they had already played the tapes and confirmed that we had only been given a heading and altitude clearance and not cleared to intercept or cleared for any kind of approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air Carrier being vectored by NCT was not given instructions to turn and intercept the final for Runway 28R causing a conflict with traffic intercepting the Runway 28L final; ATC acknowledged an error on their part.

Narrative: Being vectored to final for 28R; received instruction from NORCAL; 'fly heading 210 maintain 3000.' The controller was very busy with VFR traffic and we were never told to intercept 28R. There was traffic; 737; intercepting 28L at our altitude; approaching centerline; we were unable to get in with ATC; I turned away from the traffic and the First Officer was able to report to ATC we had turned away from traffic at that time we were cleared for the visual for 28R; at the gate I called ATC and they had already played the tapes and confirmed that we had only been given a heading and altitude clearance and not cleared to intercept or cleared for any kind of approach.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Air carrier being vectored by nct was not given instructions to turn and intercept the final for runway 28R causing a conflict with traffic intercepting the runway 28L final; ATC acknowledged an error on their part.