Narrative:

Air carrier X approached sfo from north, on radar vectors and assigned IAS to final. No approach or runway assigned. At 4000 ft on southerly heading (210 degrees), approach control asked if we saw an aircraft at 11 O'clock. We were looking into the sun. Neither PF nor PNF saw aircraft. ATC gave us a heading of 280 degrees to descend to 2500 ft, and asked if we saw the airport. I did not call the airport in sight as did not want to assume separation responsibility. Just then TCASII alerted to descend and I spotted an air carrier Y MD88 off our left wing at same altitude, approximately 400-500 ft horizontal. Other aircraft seemed to maintain course and slid to our aft left. I advised ATC. ATC again asked if we saw the aircraft. We took evasive action to the right and down (as TCASII directed) and called the field in sight. ATC then cleared us for a visual to runway 28R at 160 KTS. On short final the air carrier Y md 88 was again abreast of us right down to the runway, and landed on runway 28L. The problem arose due to ATC conducting simultaneous approachs to 28L&right. It is an inherently dangerous operation. ATC is counting on aircraft to see and call other aircraft, thus relieving ATC of separation responsibility. It's a bad situation for pilots. This operation should be stopped before a midair occurs. Even if you think you see another aircraft it could be the wrong aircraft, or you could lose visual suddenly (e.g., sun in your eyes) creating a dangerous situation. Supplemental information from acn 261302: I saw the traffic at 10-11 O'clock but we were not comfortable with excepting the visual because of the sun and the captain and first officer did not see the aircraft. At 2500 ft, heading 280 degrees and aligned with runway 28L and not assigned a runway or cleared for approach, the traffic was very close to our aircraft and I told captain and first officer (who was flying) that we needed to maneuver away from the md-80. We got a TCASII 'descend' advisory and then deviated from 2500 ft assigned and 280 degrees assigned to 2000 ft and 260 degree heading. After the deviation we called the airport in sight. At this time we were cleared for the visual to 28R. Landing was uneventful.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS SIDEBY VISUAL APCH USE ACR X TCASII RA WITH ACR Y. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN.

Narrative: ACR X APCHED SFO FROM N, ON RADAR VECTORS AND ASSIGNED IAS TO FINAL. NO APCH OR RWY ASSIGNED. AT 4000 FT ON SOUTHERLY HDG (210 DEGS), APCH CTL ASKED IF WE SAW AN ACFT AT 11 O'CLOCK. WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE SUN. NEITHER PF NOR PNF SAW ACFT. ATC GAVE US A HDG OF 280 DEGS TO DSND TO 2500 FT, AND ASKED IF WE SAW THE ARPT. I DID NOT CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT AS DID NOT WANT TO ASSUME SEPARATION RESPONSIBILITY. JUST THEN TCASII ALERTED TO DSND AND I SPOTTED AN ACR Y MD88 OFF OUR L WING AT SAME ALT, APPROX 400-500 FT HORIZ. OTHER ACFT SEEMED TO MAINTAIN COURSE AND SLID TO OUR AFT L. I ADVISED ATC. ATC AGAIN ASKED IF WE SAW THE ACFT. WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO THE R AND DOWN (AS TCASII DIRECTED) AND CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 28R AT 160 KTS. ON SHORT FINAL THE ACR Y MD 88 WAS AGAIN ABREAST OF US RIGHT DOWN TO THE RWY, AND LANDED ON RWY 28L. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO ATC CONDUCTING SIMULTANEOUS APCHS TO 28L&R. IT IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS OP. ATC IS COUNTING ON ACFT TO SEE AND CALL OTHER ACFT, THUS RELIEVING ATC OF SEPARATION RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S A BAD SIT FOR PLTS. THIS OP SHOULD BE STOPPED BEFORE A MIDAIR OCCURS. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU SEE ANOTHER ACFT IT COULD BE THE WRONG ACFT, OR YOU COULD LOSE VISUAL SUDDENLY (E.G., SUN IN YOUR EYES) CREATING A DANGEROUS SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261302: I SAW THE TFC AT 10-11 O'CLOCK BUT WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH EXCEPTING THE VISUAL BECAUSE OF THE SUN AND THE CAPT AND FO DID NOT SEE THE ACFT. AT 2500 FT, HDG 280 DEGS AND ALIGNED WITH RWY 28L AND NOT ASSIGNED A RWY OR CLRED FOR APCH, THE TFC WAS VERY CLOSE TO OUR ACFT AND I TOLD CAPT AND FO (WHO WAS FLYING) THAT WE NEEDED TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM THE MD-80. WE GOT A TCASII 'DSND' ADVISORY AND THEN DEVIATED FROM 2500 FT ASSIGNED AND 280 DEGS ASSIGNED TO 2000 FT AND 260 DEG HDG. AFTER THE DEV WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THIS TIME WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO 28R. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.