First officer of a B737 overtook a cessna and passed it on final to an adjacent parallel runway after being instructed by approach controller to extend base leg so that this would not happen.

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Attributes
ACN	490631
Time
Date	200010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rno.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rno.tracon tower : rno.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	490631
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were coming into rno and were cleared a visual approach to runway 16R with a cessna that we had in sight on final to runway 16L. He was 4-5 mi ahead of us and I presume was at final approach speed. As we turned base, the approach controller told us we could extend to the west to avoid passing the cessna on final. We offset to the west a little and then came back on final. We were pretty close to the runway so we could not offset too much to the west and still land. I was at final approach speed since completing my base turn. On short final, we slowly passed the cessna. I angled in on final to stay as far away as possible and also we were well below the cessna. But, we did pass the cessna when instructed not to. The winds were calm and we were below the cessna, so I do not think our jetwash was a problem for him. If there had been a right to left crosswind, he may have gotten in our jetwash. I presume he landed normally. Lessons learned: cessnas on final are real slow compared to our B737, so I should have delayed our base turn for more spacing. Once I saw that we would pass the cessna, I angled on final and kept as much distance as possible, but had there been a strong right to left crosswind, he may have gotten into our jetwash.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A B737 OVERTOOK A CESSNA AND PASSED IT ON FINAL TO AN ADJACENT PARALLEL RWY AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED BY APCH CTLR TO EXTEND BASE LEG SO THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN.

Narrative: WE WERE COMING INTO RNO AND WERE CLRED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16R WITH A CESSNA THAT WE HAD IN SIGHT ON FINAL TO RWY 16L. HE WAS 4-5 MI AHEAD OF US AND I PRESUME WAS AT FINAL APCH SPD. AS WE TURNED BASE, THE APCH CTLR TOLD US WE COULD EXTEND TO THE W TO AVOID PASSING THE CESSNA ON FINAL. WE OFFSET TO THE W A LITTLE AND THEN CAME BACK ON FINAL. WE WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE RWY SO WE COULD NOT OFFSET TOO MUCH TO THE W AND STILL LAND. I WAS AT FINAL APCH SPD SINCE COMPLETING MY BASE TURN. ON SHORT FINAL, WE SLOWLY PASSED THE CESSNA. I ANGLED IN ON FINAL TO STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE AND ALSO WE WERE WELL BELOW THE CESSNA. BUT, WE DID PASS THE CESSNA WHEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO. THE WINDS WERE CALM AND WE WERE BELOW THE CESSNA, SO I DO NOT THINK OUR JETWASH WAS A PROB FOR HIM. IF THERE HAD BEEN A R TO L XWIND, HE MAY HAVE GOTTEN IN OUR JETWASH. I PRESUME HE LANDED NORMALLY. LESSONS LEARNED: CESSNAS ON FINAL ARE REAL SLOW COMPARED TO OUR B737, SO I SHOULD HAVE DELAYED OUR BASE TURN FOR MORE SPACING. ONCE I SAW THAT WE WOULD PASS THE CESSNA, I ANGLED ON FINAL AND KEPT AS MUCH DISTANCE AS POSSIBLE, BUT HAD THERE BEEN A STRONG R TO L XWIND, HE MAY HAVE GOTTEN INTO OUR JETWASH.

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.