Narrative:

Approaching san francisco international from woodside VOR after a 4 1/2 hour flight from maui, were given traffic to follow for visual runway 28L. We told approach we had an aircraft in our 10:30 O'clock position, but we did not know type. He then cleared us for runway 28L visual to follow aircraft. As we intercepted final approach 10 NM out we saw an air carrier Y B737, intercepting from the northeast for runway 28R. Approach said to slow to approach speed (153 KTS) and follow the B737 on right side. At this time we were faster and almost even. The B737 was much too slow for us to remain a visual and we told tower. Tower asked air carrier Y to increase speed and air carrier Y agreed. At this point we had overtaken the B737 at our 3 O'clock position. We told tower there was no possibility of us slowing. The air carrier Y B737 was now in our 4 O'clock position. We never did lose visual, but had overtaken the B737. At approximately 500 ft tower had the air carrier Y traffic on runway 28R go around. I feel approach/tower should have been prepared for the large speed difference between our aircraft and planned accordingly. We do not recall being told cleared for the runway 28R visual and to fall in behind runway 28R traffic. If we had, we could have slowed earlier. There is a 20-30 KT difference in our approach speeds which played a large part in this conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLC WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L AT SFO AND INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW A B737 INBOUND TO RWY 28R. BECAUSE OF THE SPD DIFFERENCE BTWN THE 2 ACFT, THE DC10 WAS UNABLE TO STAY BEHIND THE B737. THE TWR INSTRUCTED THE B737 TO GAR.

Narrative: APCHING SAN FRANCISCO INTL FROM WOODSIDE VOR AFTER A 4 1/2 HR FLT FROM MAUI, WERE GIVEN TFC TO FOLLOW FOR VISUAL RWY 28L. WE TOLD APCH WE HAD AN ACFT IN OUR 10:30 O'CLOCK POS, BUT WE DID NOT KNOW TYPE. HE THEN CLRED US FOR RWY 28L VISUAL TO FOLLOW ACFT. AS WE INTERCEPTED FINAL APCH 10 NM OUT WE SAW AN ACR Y B737, INTERCEPTING FROM THE NE FOR RWY 28R. APCH SAID TO SLOW TO APCH SPD (153 KTS) AND FOLLOW THE B737 ON R SIDE. AT THIS TIME WE WERE FASTER AND ALMOST EVEN. THE B737 WAS MUCH TOO SLOW FOR US TO REMAIN A VISUAL AND WE TOLD TWR. TWR ASKED ACR Y TO INCREASE SPD AND ACR Y AGREED. AT THIS POINT WE HAD OVERTAKEN THE B737 AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS. WE TOLD TWR THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF US SLOWING. THE ACR Y B737 WAS NOW IN OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS. WE NEVER DID LOSE VISUAL, BUT HAD OVERTAKEN THE B737. AT APPROX 500 FT TWR HAD THE ACR Y TFC ON RWY 28R GAR. I FEEL APCH/TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR THE LARGE SPD DIFFERENCE BTWN OUR ACFT AND PLANNED ACCORDINGLY. WE DO NOT RECALL BEING TOLD CLRED FOR THE RWY 28R VISUAL AND TO FALL IN BEHIND RWY 28R TFC. IF WE HAD, WE COULD HAVE SLOWED EARLIER. THERE IS A 20-30 KT DIFFERENCE IN OUR APCH SPDS WHICH PLAYED A LARGE PART IN THIS CONFLICT.

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.