Narrative:

I was the PF on an FMS bridge visual to runway 28R sfo. At about 12-14 mi, bay approach pointed out traffic at 10 O'clock, a brasilia turning final runway 28L. Approach said 'the brasilia has you in sight.' when we reported traffic in sight, approach said, 'he will be alongside you for a parallel visual, maintain visual contact with the brasilia.' as we approached samul intersection approach said, 'the brasilia has you in sight, maintaining visual, contact sfo tower.' we still had brasilia in sight, called tower and were cleared to land runway 28R sfo. As we intercepted runway 28R centerline, we got a TCASII TA on our screen and an aural traffic warning. Warning corresponded to brasilia's position, brasilia still in sight. At approximately 800-900 ft we got a TCASII RA and a 'reduce descent' aural warning. RA corresponded to brasilia's position, brasilia was still in sight. Both aircraft were established on their respective approachs. Brasilia was slightly higher than us. I evaluated the situation with the traffic in sight corresponding to the RA. Prior to initiating a maneuver, within 5 seconds, the RA ceased. With traffic still in sight, and the RA ceased, I considered it the safest course of action to maintain the approach profile to landing. We did not maneuver on the RA. We maintained visual contact and completed a routine landing runway 28R sfo. We did not reduce descent on RA command because we had traffic in sight throughout approach. Recommendation: 1) ensure TCASII control switch is in TA for all visual approachs to runway 28L&right sfo when they are conducting simultaneous visuals to both runways. 2) do not accept a visual approach where traffic for the parallel runway will be spaced close alongside. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the A320 airbus. His air carrier allows, but does not require, its crew to turn the TCASII to TA when making parallel approachs to certain airports. The FAA inspector believed that the reporter either should have followed the RA or already have turned the TCASII to TA. He did not consider that the other aircraft being plainly in sight enough reason to ignore the RA. The reporter's air carrier allows its flcs to ignore an RA when the other aircraft is in sight. The reporter has heard nothing further from the FAA on this. Supplemental information from acn 357845: our FAA inspector jumpseater (giving a line inspection) stated that we were required to follow the TCASII RA. I disagreed!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR AIRBUS A320 CONTINUED ITS APCH, IGNORING A TCASII RA, ON A SIDE-BY-SIDE VISUAL APCH TO RWYS 28 AT SFO.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON AN FMS BRIDGE VISUAL TO RWY 28R SFO. AT ABOUT 12-14 MI, BAY APCH POINTED OUT TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK, A BRASILIA TURNING FINAL RWY 28L. APCH SAID 'THE BRASILIA HAS YOU IN SIGHT.' WHEN WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT, APCH SAID, 'HE WILL BE ALONGSIDE YOU FOR A PARALLEL VISUAL, MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE BRASILIA.' AS WE APCHED SAMUL INTXN APCH SAID, 'THE BRASILIA HAS YOU IN SIGHT, MAINTAINING VISUAL, CONTACT SFO TWR.' WE STILL HAD BRASILIA IN SIGHT, CALLED TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 28R SFO. AS WE INTERCEPTED RWY 28R CTRLINE, WE GOT A TCASII TA ON OUR SCREEN AND AN AURAL TFC WARNING. WARNING CORRESPONDED TO BRASILIA'S POS, BRASILIA STILL IN SIGHT. AT APPROX 800-900 FT WE GOT A TCASII RA AND A 'REDUCE DSCNT' AURAL WARNING. RA CORRESPONDED TO BRASILIA'S POS, BRASILIA WAS STILL IN SIGHT. BOTH ACFT WERE ESTABLISHED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE APCHS. BRASILIA WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN US. I EVALUATED THE SIT WITH THE TFC IN SIGHT CORRESPONDING TO THE RA. PRIOR TO INITIATING A MANEUVER, WITHIN 5 SECONDS, THE RA CEASED. WITH TFC STILL IN SIGHT, AND THE RA CEASED, I CONSIDERED IT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION TO MAINTAIN THE APCH PROFILE TO LNDG. WE DID NOT MANEUVER ON THE RA. WE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT AND COMPLETED A ROUTINE LNDG RWY 28R SFO. WE DID NOT REDUCE DSCNT ON RA COMMAND BECAUSE WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT THROUGHOUT APCH. RECOMMENDATION: 1) ENSURE TCASII CTL SWITCH IS IN TA FOR ALL VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 28L&R SFO WHEN THEY ARE CONDUCTING SIMULTANEOUS VISUALS TO BOTH RWYS. 2) DO NOT ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH WHERE TFC FOR THE PARALLEL RWY WILL BE SPACED CLOSE ALONGSIDE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE A320 AIRBUS. HIS ACR ALLOWS, BUT DOES NOT REQUIRE, ITS CREW TO TURN THE TCASII TO TA WHEN MAKING PARALLEL APCHS TO CERTAIN ARPTS. THE FAA INSPECTOR BELIEVED THAT THE RPTR EITHER SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE RA OR ALREADY HAVE TURNED THE TCASII TO TA. HE DID NOT CONSIDER THAT THE OTHER ACFT BEING PLAINLY IN SIGHT ENOUGH REASON TO IGNORE THE RA. THE RPTR'S ACR ALLOWS ITS FLCS TO IGNORE AN RA WHEN THE OTHER ACFT IS IN SIGHT. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357845: OUR FAA INSPECTOR JUMPSEATER (GIVING A LINE INSPECTION) STATED THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE TCASII RA. I DISAGREED!

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.