Narrative:

I am a F/east on air carrier widebody transport. I don't remember the exact WX at san francisco but it was about 2500 scattered and the visibility was greater than 10 mi. It was the first officer's leg and we were shooting the tip toe visibility 28R approach to sfo. We saw the airport at about 25 mi and could tell that there was a scattered layer around the bay area. The first officer had a nice 3 to 1 descent going at 250 KTS and out of about 4000' MSL/12 DME we were still clean. I was seeing that we were going to lose sight of the runway and go into a cloud at about this time approach said to slow to 170 KTS and contact the tower. Now we had to level off in the cloud and slow. The captain was giving little coaching to the first officer during the entire time and the first officer was way behind the ball. When we finally got everything out we came out of the cloud high, fast, and well north of the centerline to 28R. The captain asked if we could make a 360 out over the bay to the right. The tower said unable and to fly runway heading. After we missed we came back around for the visibility to 28L and now we had to pull up side by side, wing tip to wing tip with a widebody transport that was on the visibility to 28R. This was not where you come up from behind and then match speeds. We were on a left base and widebody transport was already on the tip toe 28R radial. When we turned final we had to turn belly up to and roll out to the left of centerline and then creep over to the centerline. This is not such a good idea guys. Both cockpits are so involved in watching the other guy that other duties suffer, ie watching for other traffic, checklist, radio watch etc. Let alone if someone happens to have some sort of aircraft problem right then. I know you have heard it before but you have an accident waiting to happen there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SO ON WDB ACR FLYING CHARTED VISUAL APCH INTO SFO REPORTS THAT CAPT AND FO, PF, ALLOWED ACFT TO FLY THROUGH THE CLOUDS DURING THE APCH, CAUSING THEM TO DEVIATE NORTH OF COURSE AND RESULTING IN A MISSED APCH.

Narrative: I AM A F/E ON ACR WDB. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WX AT SAN FRANCISCO BUT IT WAS ABOUT 2500 SCATTERED AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 10 MI. IT WAS THE F/O'S LEG AND WE WERE SHOOTING THE TIP TOE VIS 28R APCH TO SFO. WE SAW THE ARPT AT ABOUT 25 MI AND COULD TELL THAT THERE WAS A SCATTERED LAYER AROUND THE BAY AREA. THE F/O HAD A NICE 3 TO 1 DSCNT GOING AT 250 KTS AND OUT OF ABOUT 4000' MSL/12 DME WE WERE STILL CLEAN. I WAS SEEING THAT WE WERE GOING TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE RWY AND GO INTO A CLOUD AT ABOUT THIS TIME APCH SAID TO SLOW TO 170 KTS AND CONTACT THE TWR. NOW WE HAD TO LEVEL OFF IN THE CLOUD AND SLOW. THE CAPT WAS GIVING LITTLE COACHING TO THE F/O DURING THE ENTIRE TIME AND THE F/O WAS WAY BEHIND THE BALL. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT EVERYTHING OUT WE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUD HIGH, FAST, AND WELL N OF THE CENTERLINE TO 28R. THE CAPT ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A 360 OUT OVER THE BAY TO THE RIGHT. THE TWR SAID UNABLE AND TO FLY RWY HDG. AFTER WE MISSED WE CAME BACK AROUND FOR THE VIS TO 28L AND NOW WE HAD TO PULL UP SIDE BY SIDE, WING TIP TO WING TIP WITH A WDB THAT WAS ON THE VIS TO 28R. THIS WAS NOT WHERE YOU COME UP FROM BEHIND AND THEN MATCH SPDS. WE WERE ON A LEFT BASE AND WDB WAS ALREADY ON THE TIP TOE 28R RADIAL. WHEN WE TURNED FINAL WE HAD TO TURN BELLY UP TO AND ROLL OUT TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE AND THEN CREEP OVER TO THE CENTERLINE. THIS IS NOT SUCH A GOOD IDEA GUYS. BOTH COCKPITS ARE SO INVOLVED IN WATCHING THE OTHER GUY THAT OTHER DUTIES SUFFER, IE WATCHING FOR OTHER TFC, CHKLIST, RADIO WATCH ETC. LET ALONE IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ACFT PROB RIGHT THEN. I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE BUT YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN THERE.

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