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B757 flight crew on visual approach sfo loses visual contact with side-by B777 and initiates go around.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 476798 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200006 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : o90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : o90.tracon tower : sfo.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual approach : straight in |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 476798 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 18 |
| ASRS Report | 476655 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airport Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
We were on a scheduled flight from iad to sfo. We were rerted by ATC up to point reyes for 'sector balancing' then vectored by bay approach for an uncharted visual approach. Controller pointed out traffic, then told us to proceed direct brijj and cleared for visual runway 28R. Near brijj, controller asked us to look for additional traffic, which we were unable to acquire because of haze. We then realized we had lost sight of parallel traffic. We leveled off and told the controller we were going around. Controller said there was no need to go around because adequate separation exists, but we could go around if we wanted to, which we did. The controller gave us a heading and altitude and then a frequency change and a safe go around was accomplished. Adding to the problem was the fact that the traffic in close proximity to us was talking to a different controller on a different frequency. I think it is possible to maintain visual separation from more than 1 aircraft. Also, a high workload situation of configuring the airplane for landing and marginal visual conditions add to the problem. Supplemental information from acn 476655: approach points out traffic (B777) on extended final for runway 28L, 'plan to follow traffic, cleared visual runway 28R.' additional traffic for runway 28R is called out but cannot be seen due to sun in our eyes. As we approach brijj, it becomes obvious that our assigned speed was not capable to maintain a following position with the B777 which had already slowed and was talking to sfo tower. Our flight path resulted in passing above and in front of the B777.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757 FLC ON VISUAL APCH SFO LOSES VISUAL CONTACT WITH SIDE-BY B777 AND INITIATES GAR.
Narrative: WE WERE ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM IAD TO SFO. WE WERE RERTED BY ATC UP TO POINT REYES FOR 'SECTOR BALANCING' THEN VECTORED BY BAY APCH FOR AN UNCHARTED VISUAL APCH. CTLR POINTED OUT TFC, THEN TOLD US TO PROCEED DIRECT BRIJJ AND CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 28R. NEAR BRIJJ, CTLR ASKED US TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL TFC, WHICH WE WERE UNABLE TO ACQUIRE BECAUSE OF HAZE. WE THEN REALIZED WE HAD LOST SIGHT OF PARALLEL TFC. WE LEVELED OFF AND TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE GOING AROUND. CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO NEED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE ADEQUATE SEPARATION EXISTS, BUT WE COULD GO AROUND IF WE WANTED TO, WHICH WE DID. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG AND ALT AND THEN A FREQ CHANGE AND A SAFE GAR WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ADDING TO THE PROB WAS THE FACT THAT THE TFC IN CLOSE PROX TO US WAS TALKING TO A DIFFERENT CTLR ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM MORE THAN 1 ACFT. ALSO, A HIGH WORKLOAD SIT OF CONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE FOR LNDG AND MARGINAL VISUAL CONDITIONS ADD TO THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476655: APCH POINTS OUT TFC (B777) ON EXTENDED FINAL FOR RWY 28L, 'PLAN TO FOLLOW TFC, CLRED VISUAL RWY 28R.' ADDITIONAL TFC FOR RWY 28R IS CALLED OUT BUT CANNOT BE SEEN DUE TO SUN IN OUR EYES. AS WE APCH BRIJJ, IT BECOMES OBVIOUS THAT OUR ASSIGNED SPD WAS NOT CAPABLE TO MAINTAIN A FOLLOWING POS WITH THE B777 WHICH HAD ALREADY SLOWED AND WAS TALKING TO SFO TWR. OUR FLT PATH RESULTED IN PASSING ABOVE AND IN FRONT OF THE B777.
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.