Narrative:

We were on day 4 of a 4-DAY scheduled flight. We had departed toronto, canada, arriving in chicago. Departed chicago, arriving at sacramento. Out of sacramento was cleared by radar vector to sac, climb to 10000' and fly the risti 2 arrival into sfo. Bay TRACON gave flight a vector of 260 degrees to intercept the sfo VOR 095 degree right for a visibility approach to runway 28R. Company aircraft Y was making a parallel approach to 28L and we had him in sight. Descending through 3000' MSL the captain advised approach that we did not see the field, because of a scud layer north of the 095 degree right. Approach gave us a descent to 1600' MSL and stated that if we didn't pick up the field, to execute a missed approach. (There is no published missed approach.) we arrived at 1600' MSL, 25 degrees off or runway heading, pointing directly at aircraft Y going to the left runway, and approach told us to climb to 4000' and execute a missed approach. I do not recall if they gave us a heading. The captain then informed approach that we had the field and we were cleared to tower who cleared us to land. We arrived at XX29 PDT. I do not believe that the captain or first officer ever visually sighted the field prior to descending to 1600' MSL. I thought that I had picked up the general area of the field prior. The scud layer was along our line of sight to the field. I believe that aircraft Y had the field in sight the entire way. We erred in accepting a vector that put us inside the OM on a potential collision course with the other aircraft. Because there is no missed approach procedure, if we had missed and the other aircraft had also been required to go around, a definite hazard would have resulted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT ACCEPTED VISUAL APCH. LOW CLOUDS IN VICINITY OF ARPT TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED APCH. POTENTIAL OF LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION EXISTED. ANALYST ESTIMATE OF ACFT SEPARATION IS 650' HORIZONTAL BETWEEN ACFT X AND Y LNDG ON PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: WE WERE ON DAY 4 OF A 4-DAY SCHEDULED FLT. WE HAD DEPARTED TORONTO, CANADA, ARRIVING IN CHICAGO. DEPARTED CHICAGO, ARRIVING AT SACRAMENTO. OUT OF SACRAMENTO WAS CLRED BY RADAR VECTOR TO SAC, CLB TO 10000' AND FLY THE RISTI 2 ARR INTO SFO. BAY TRACON GAVE FLT A VECTOR OF 260 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE SFO VOR 095 DEG R FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 28R. COMPANY ACFT Y WAS MAKING A PARALLEL APCH TO 28L AND WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT. DSNDING THROUGH 3000' MSL THE CAPT ADVISED APCH THAT WE DID NOT SEE THE FIELD, BECAUSE OF A SCUD LAYER N OF THE 095 DEG R. APCH GAVE US A DSCNT TO 1600' MSL AND STATED THAT IF WE DIDN'T PICK UP THE FIELD, TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. (THERE IS NO PUBLISHED MISSED APCH.) WE ARRIVED AT 1600' MSL, 25 DEGS OFF OR RWY HDG, POINTING DIRECTLY AT ACFT Y GOING TO THE LEFT RWY, AND APCH TOLD US TO CLB TO 4000' AND EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. I DO NOT RECALL IF THEY GAVE US A HDG. THE CAPT THEN INFORMED APCH THAT WE HAD THE FIELD AND WE WERE CLRED TO TWR WHO CLRED US TO LAND. WE ARRIVED AT XX29 PDT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CAPT OR F/O EVER VISUALLY SIGHTED THE FIELD PRIOR TO DSNDING TO 1600' MSL. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD PICKED UP THE GENERAL AREA OF THE FIELD PRIOR. THE SCUD LAYER WAS ALONG OUR LINE OF SIGHT TO THE FIELD. I BELIEVE THAT ACFT Y HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE WAY. WE ERRED IN ACCEPTING A VECTOR THAT PUT US INSIDE THE OM ON A POTENTIAL COLLISION COURSE WITH THE OTHER ACFT. BECAUSE THERE IS NO MISSED APCH PROC, IF WE HAD MISSED AND THE OTHER ACFT HAD ALSO BEEN REQUIRED TO GO AROUND, A DEFINITE HAZARD WOULD HAVE RESULTED.

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.