Narrative:

We were cleared by approach control for the quiet bridge visual approach to sfo runway 28R. We were told that there would be air carrier large transport traffic behind and to our left on the tip toe visual to runway 28L. We were told that he had us in sight and we were instructed to contact sfo tower approaching the bridge. While still on the sfo 095 radial about 2 mi east of the bridge we had the air carrier large transport in sight at our 9 O'clock position and we called the tower. We were cleared to land on runway 28R. Our TCASII was warning us of air carrier's presence but we still had visual contact with him and proceeded cautiously. Then the TCASII warning became an RA to climb. I immediately glanced at the TCASII to determine if there were any other targets I was unaware of. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed air carrier making a maneuver directly toward us. I immediately took control of the aircraft and executed a climbing right turning maneuver. My TCASII showed air carrier to be 200 ft below us as he visually disappeared under the nose of our aircraft. He visually appeared to be about that close as I initiated the evasive maneuver. At the time of this near collision we were on the sfo 095 radial at about 6.5 DME which is right (north) of the localizer for runway 28R. Air carrier was supposed to be on the localizer for runway 28L as per the tip toe visual. He was apparently doing an 'south' turn and not only overshot his runway but ours as well. I asked the tower if they were controling him and was told 'no!' finally he came on frequency and was cleared to land on runway 28L. I then relinquished control back to first officer who made a normal landing on runway 28R. I requested and received the tower phone number. After landing I called and talked to the sfo tower chief. During our conversation, the air carrier captain called him so we postponed our discussion. When I talked to the tower chief 15 mins later, he told me that the air carrier pilot never saw us and that the only traffic he acknowledged was an medium large transport about 5 mi in front of us. He also told me that air carrier was apparently doing 'south' turns to lose altitude! Here is my concern: regardless of what the air carrier pilot did or did not see, regardless of what his TCASII did or did not show, who would he do 'south' turns toward and through the extended centerline of the parallel runway when parallel visual approachs were being conducted? I am totally convinced that, without our remaining defensively high and without our timely and appropriate evasive maneuver, there would have been a mid-air collision on the sfo 095 radial -- 6 DME (slightly north of the 28R localizer)! Supplemental information from acn 219532. Aircraft Y. I was the PF executing the tip toe visual to 28L. I was somewhat high and fast and was devoting almost all my attention to bringing the aircraft back on profile. I was not 'hearing' the xmissions from ATC as I should have. Shortly after capturing the ILS 28L localizer, the captain said to me that 'they wanted me over the high span.' I questioned what he meant. He then pointed to the right towards a part of the san mateo bridge and said they wanted me over that part of the bridge. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter was reluctant or unable to add any information. He said that captain told him they were told to 'call the high span.' he also repeated that the captain said the approach controller 'wants you over the high span.' he has received a letter of investigation from the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT ON A PARALLEL APCH TO RWY 28L STRAYS FROM HIS COURSE AND HAS AN NMAC WITH AN MLG MAKING AN APCH TO RWY 28R AT SFO.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY APCH CTL FOR THE QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL APCH TO SFO RWY 28R. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE ACR LGT TFC BEHIND AND TO OUR L ON THE TIP TOE VISUAL TO RWY 28L. WE WERE TOLD THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT SFO TWR APCHING THE BRIDGE. WHILE STILL ON THE SFO 095 RADIAL ABOUT 2 MI E OF THE BRIDGE WE HAD THE ACR LGT IN SIGHT AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS AND WE CALLED THE TWR. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28R. OUR TCASII WAS WARNING US OF ACR'S PRESENCE BUT WE STILL HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH HIM AND PROCEEDED CAUTIOUSLY. THEN THE TCASII WARNING BECAME AN RA TO CLB. I IMMEDIATELY GLANCED AT THE TCASII TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER TARGETS I WAS UNAWARE OF. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I NOTICED ACR MAKING A MANEUVER DIRECTLY TOWARD US. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND EXECUTED A CLBING R TURNING MANEUVER. MY TCASII SHOWED ACR TO BE 200 FT BELOW US AS HE VISUALLY DISAPPEARED UNDER THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT. HE VISUALLY APPEARED TO BE ABOUT THAT CLOSE AS I INITIATED THE EVASIVE MANEUVER. AT THE TIME OF THIS NEAR COLLISION WE WERE ON THE SFO 095 RADIAL AT ABOUT 6.5 DME WHICH IS R (N) OF THE LOC FOR RWY 28R. ACR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE LOC FOR RWY 28L AS PER THE TIP TOE VISUAL. HE WAS APPARENTLY DOING AN 'S' TURN AND NOT ONLY OVERSHOT HIS RWY BUT OURS AS WELL. I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY WERE CTLING HIM AND WAS TOLD 'NO!' FINALLY HE CAME ON FREQ AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28L. I THEN RELINQUISHED CTL BACK TO FO WHO MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 28R. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE TWR PHONE NUMBER. AFTER LNDG I CALLED AND TALKED TO THE SFO TWR CHIEF. DURING OUR CONVERSATION, THE ACR CAPT CALLED HIM SO WE POSTPONED OUR DISCUSSION. WHEN I TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF 15 MINS LATER, HE TOLD ME THAT THE ACR PLT NEVER SAW US AND THAT THE ONLY TFC HE ACKNOWLEDGED WAS AN MLG ABOUT 5 MI IN FRONT OF US. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT ACR WAS APPARENTLY DOING 'S' TURNS TO LOSE ALT! HERE IS MY CONCERN: REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ACR PLT DID OR DID NOT SEE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HIS TCASII DID OR DID NOT SHOW, WHO WOULD HE DO 'S' TURNS TOWARD AND THROUGH THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF THE PARALLEL RWY WHEN PARALLEL VISUAL APCHS WERE BEING CONDUCTED? I AM TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT, WITHOUT OUR REMAINING DEFENSIVELY HIGH AND WITHOUT OUR TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE EVASIVE MANEUVER, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MID-AIR COLLISION ON THE SFO 095 RADIAL -- 6 DME (SLIGHTLY N OF THE 28R LOC)! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 219532. ACFT Y. I WAS THE PF EXECUTING THE TIP TOE VISUAL TO 28L. I WAS SOMEWHAT HIGH AND FAST AND WAS DEVOTING ALMOST ALL MY ATTN TO BRINGING THE ACFT BACK ON PROFILE. I WAS NOT 'HEARING' THE XMISSIONS FROM ATC AS I SHOULD HAVE. SHORTLY AFTER CAPTURING THE ILS 28L LOC, THE CAPT SAID TO ME THAT 'THEY WANTED ME OVER THE HIGH SPAN.' I QUESTIONED WHAT HE MEANT. HE THEN POINTED TO THE R TOWARDS A PART OF THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE AND SAID THEY WANTED ME OVER THAT PART OF THE BRIDGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WAS RELUCTANT OR UNABLE TO ADD ANY INFO. HE SAID THAT CAPT TOLD HIM THEY WERE TOLD TO 'CALL THE HIGH SPAN.' HE ALSO REPEATED THAT THE CAPT SAID THE APCH CTLR 'WANTS YOU OVER THE HIGH SPAN.' HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE FAA.

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.