Narrative:

At 1100 ft AGL, we had just completed our final items checklist. Upon doing so, I always look left and right to ensure the approach area is clear. It wasn't, looking left I spied an small transport X at our 8:30 position, 'even' with our altitude and a moderate closure rate on a converging course. I called the first officer's attention to our friend. The first officer gently increased our rate of descent. Meanwhile, small transport X closed to less than 100 ft before I saw his nose rotate up and the landing gear extend. Captain commuter then pulled up and onto his own final approach and landed normally, as did we. The down side of the visual approach had raised its ugly head! The small transport X had been proffered and accepted a visual approach predicated on keeping our aircraft in sight. The commuter accepted this clearance while our aircraft was positioned directly beneath and astern of his aircraft. The WX was 120 overcast 1000 scattered and 4 mi haze/smoke. His extending landing gear and jerking his nose up indicated to me that this was the moment at which true visual separation began. He had been instructed to maintain visual separation with us. Obviously he never had us, nor the airport in sight, why else would he be on our localizer path at such close quarters. The small transport captain accepted a visual in marginal VFR without the airport (we couldn't see it) or us in sight. Unable to see us or the airport he probably flew the localizer offset. His accepting this 'visual' was unwholesome and cavalier, unprofessional, and contrary to good pilot practice, FARS, and safety. If he wants to be a 'cowboy' he should join the rodeo. Barring that, the aim would be an appropriate gift for captain commuter. I hope we are both better airmen for this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG ON APCH TO LAX 24R ENCOUNTERED AN SMT APCHING FOR 24L WHO CAME IN CLOSE PROX WHILE ON A VISUAL TO 24L.

Narrative: AT 1100 FT AGL, WE HAD JUST COMPLETED OUR FINAL ITEMS CHKLIST. UPON DOING SO, I ALWAYS LOOK L AND R TO ENSURE THE APCH AREA IS CLR. IT WASN'T, LOOKING L I SPIED AN SMT X AT OUR 8:30 POS, 'EVEN' WITH OUR ALT AND A MODERATE CLOSURE RATE ON A CONVERGING COURSE. I CALLED THE FO'S ATTN TO OUR FRIEND. THE FO GENTLY INCREASED OUR RATE OF DSCNT. MEANWHILE, SMT X CLOSED TO LESS THAN 100 FT BEFORE I SAW HIS NOSE ROTATE UP AND THE LNDG GEAR EXTEND. CAPT COMMUTER THEN PULLED UP AND ONTO HIS OWN FINAL APCH AND LANDED NORMALLY, AS DID WE. THE DOWN SIDE OF THE VISUAL APCH HAD RAISED ITS UGLY HEAD! THE SMT X HAD BEEN PROFFERED AND ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH PREDICATED ON KEEPING OUR ACFT IN SIGHT. THE COMMUTER ACCEPTED THIS CLRNC WHILE OUR ACFT WAS POSITIONED DIRECTLY BENEATH AND ASTERN OF HIS ACFT. THE WX WAS 120 OVCST 1000 SCATTERED AND 4 MI HAZE/SMOKE. HIS EXTENDING LNDG GEAR AND JERKING HIS NOSE UP INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS WAS THE MOMENT AT WHICH TRUE VISUAL SEPARATION BEGAN. HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH US. OBVIOUSLY HE NEVER HAD US, NOR THE ARPT IN SIGHT, WHY ELSE WOULD HE BE ON OUR LOC PATH AT SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS. THE SMT CAPT ACCEPTED A VISUAL IN MARGINAL VFR WITHOUT THE ARPT (WE COULDN'T SEE IT) OR US IN SIGHT. UNABLE TO SEE US OR THE ARPT HE PROBABLY FLEW THE LOC OFFSET. HIS ACCEPTING THIS 'VISUAL' WAS UNWHOLESOME AND CAVALIER, UNPROFESSIONAL, AND CONTRARY TO GOOD PLT PRACTICE, FARS, AND SAFETY. IF HE WANTS TO BE A 'COWBOY' HE SHOULD JOIN THE RODEO. BARRING THAT, THE AIM WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE GIFT FOR CAPT COMMUTER. I HOPE WE ARE BOTH BETTER AIRMEN FOR THIS.

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.