Narrative:

I was the captain of flight, a B757, into sfo on jun/xx/97. The WX was VFR. We were cleared for the FMS bridge visual approach to runway 28R. Traffic was pointed out in our 12 O'clock position as a B747 that was to follow us on a visual approach to runway 28L. As we approached the san mateo bridge (samul), the cargo B747 rolled out less than 1 mi behind us and slightly to our left. The B747 gradually overtook us and passed us at approximately 500 ft AGL, landing several seconds ahead of us. I feel that this is an extremely hazardous situation. First, the B747 did not maintain the required 4 mi wake turbulence separation behind us, a B757. Second, the B747 put us into a hazardous wake turbulence situation as he passed us. And third, at wingtip to wingtip, this is tantamount to flying formation without a briefing. Further, commercial chart page 13-2A, 'sfo international airport expanded charted visual flight procedures,' specifically states, 'heavy aircraft will not be authority/authorized to overtake another aircraft on the adjacent final approach course, wake turbulence cautionary advisories will be issued, as appropriate.' we were overtaken and passed by a B747, and no wake turbulence advisories were issued to us. In retrospect, a go around might have been in order, but a simultaneous go around by the overtaking aircraft, as expected and required, would have created an even more hazardous situation. This whole procedure creates a potential disaster!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ACFT RPTR FLC STATES THAT B747 WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SFO VISUAL FLT PROCS. HVY ACFT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO OVERTAKE ANOTHER ACFT LNDG ON PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT, A B757, INTO SFO ON JUN/XX/97. THE WX WAS VFR. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE FMS BRIDGE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R. TFC WAS POINTED OUT IN OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AS A B747 THAT WAS TO FOLLOW US ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. AS WE APCHED THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE (SAMUL), THE CARGO B747 ROLLED OUT LESS THAN 1 MI BEHIND US AND SLIGHTLY TO OUR L. THE B747 GRADUALLY OVERTOOK US AND PASSED US AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, LNDG SEVERAL SECONDS AHEAD OF US. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SIT. FIRST, THE B747 DID NOT MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED 4 MI WAKE TURB SEPARATION BEHIND US, A B757. SECOND, THE B747 PUT US INTO A HAZARDOUS WAKE TURB SIT AS HE PASSED US. AND THIRD, AT WINGTIP TO WINGTIP, THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO FLYING FORMATION WITHOUT A BRIEFING. FURTHER, COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE 13-2A, 'SFO INTL ARPT EXPANDED CHARTED VISUAL FLT PROCS,' SPECIFICALLY STATES, 'HVY ACFT WILL NOT BE AUTH TO OVERTAKE ANOTHER ACFT ON THE ADJACENT FINAL APCH COURSE, WAKE TURB CAUTIONARY ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED, AS APPROPRIATE.' WE WERE OVERTAKEN AND PASSED BY A B747, AND NO WAKE TURB ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED TO US. IN RETROSPECT, A GAR MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN ORDER, BUT A SIMULTANEOUS GAR BY THE OVERTAKING ACFT, AS EXPECTED AND REQUIRED, WOULD HAVE CREATED AN EVEN MORE HAZARDOUS SIT. THIS WHOLE PROC CREATES A POTENTIAL DISASTER!

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.