Narrative:

While on final approach to sfo runway 28R was passed on the left at approximately 1000' AGL by a air carrier Y medium large transport approximately 600' off of our left wing at the same altitude descending. We were at approach speed (140 KTS) and he passed us as though we were standing still, startling us and scaring the daylights out of our passenger. After landing I called sfo tower to protest and they denied any fault on their part (although my second officer claims to have heard them instruct air carrier Y to pass someone). According to the tower, all aircraft are assumed to accept the side by side approach with 700' latitude sep, if you don't inform 'bay approach' in advance that you will not accept it. Both aircraft are assumed to have the other in sight. In our case, air carrier Y was turned in behind us (we were on a quiet bridge approach and he was on a tip toe approach). Once he was behind us, we no longer had him in sight. We were never informed that he was going to pass us. Had I been so informed I would have discontinued the approach, rather than have my passenger panicked by the sudden appearance of another airplane racing to get in front of us in the dark. (Day or night, I don't want anyone that close to me.) after talking to the tower and bay approach, it becomes evident that bay approach erred in turning the medium large transport in behind us (because of wake turbulence from our heavy jet, he should have been turned in, in front of us). The tower compounded the error by instructing him to pass us. I understand their problems in handling huge #south of aircraft into and out of such a poorly designed airport, but I am unwilling to compromise the safety of my aircraft and passenger by flying close formation with another aircraft, especially not on final approach. I can accept an approach behind him where responsibility for reasonable sep is shifted to me, or an approach in front of him where responsibility for reasonable sep is shifted to the other aircraft, but to be set up to fly minimum approach speed while another aircraft comes within 700' of me is an invitation to disaster. Any distraction, in either cockpit, could trigger a mid air collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB COMPLAINT ABOUT CLOSE PROX WITH ACR MLG BOTH ON VISUAL APCH TO SFO.

Narrative: WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO SFO RWY 28R WAS PASSED ON THE LEFT AT APPROX 1000' AGL BY A ACR Y MLG APPROX 600' OFF OF OUR LEFT WING AT THE SAME ALT DSNDING. WE WERE AT APCH SPD (140 KTS) AND HE PASSED US AS THOUGH WE WERE STANDING STILL, STARTLING US AND SCARING THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF OUR PAX. AFTER LNDG I CALLED SFO TWR TO PROTEST AND THEY DENIED ANY FAULT ON THEIR PART (ALTHOUGH MY S/O CLAIMS TO HAVE HEARD THEM INSTRUCT ACR Y TO PASS SOMEONE). ACCORDING TO THE TWR, ALL ACFT ARE ASSUMED TO ACCEPT THE SIDE BY SIDE APCH WITH 700' LAT SEP, IF YOU DON'T INFORM 'BAY APCH' IN ADVANCE THAT YOU WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. BOTH ACFT ARE ASSUMED TO HAVE THE OTHER IN SIGHT. IN OUR CASE, ACR Y WAS TURNED IN BEHIND US (WE WERE ON A QUIET BRIDGE APCH AND HE WAS ON A TIP TOE APCH). ONCE HE WAS BEHIND US, WE NO LONGER HAD HIM IN SIGHT. WE WERE NEVER INFORMED THAT HE WAS GOING TO PASS US. HAD I BEEN SO INFORMED I WOULD HAVE DISCONTINUED THE APCH, RATHER THAN HAVE MY PAX PANICKED BY THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE RACING TO GET IN FRONT OF US IN THE DARK. (DAY OR NIGHT, I DON'T WANT ANYONE THAT CLOSE TO ME.) AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR AND BAY APCH, IT BECOMES EVIDENT THAT BAY APCH ERRED IN TURNING THE MLG IN BEHIND US (BECAUSE OF WAKE TURB FROM OUR HEAVY JET, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED IN, IN FRONT OF US). THE TWR COMPOUNDED THE ERROR BY INSTRUCTING HIM TO PASS US. I UNDERSTAND THEIR PROBS IN HANDLING HUGE #S OF ACFT INTO AND OUT OF SUCH A POORLY DESIGNED ARPT, BUT I AM UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF MY ACFT AND PAX BY FLYING CLOSE FORMATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT, ESPECIALLY NOT ON FINAL APCH. I CAN ACCEPT AN APCH BEHIND HIM WHERE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REASONABLE SEP IS SHIFTED TO ME, OR AN APCH IN FRONT OF HIM WHERE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REASONABLE SEP IS SHIFTED TO THE OTHER ACFT, BUT TO BE SET UP TO FLY MINIMUM APCH SPD WHILE ANOTHER ACFT COMES WITHIN 700' OF ME IS AN INVITATION TO DISASTER. ANY DISTR, IN EITHER COCKPIT, COULD TRIGGER A MID AIR COLLISION.

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.