Narrative:

I hadn't flown into sfo for several yrs, but I am a competent pilot in high density traffic areas. I knew that a single pilot arrival at sfo is no walk in the park, so I reviewed charts and approach plates for about 2 hours the day prior. There are so many approachs and sids/stars to sfo that it's hard to study them all, but I focused on the 2 charted visual approachs to runways 28. Approaching the sfo terminal area, on initial call to sierra approach, I was issued holding instructions at santy intersection. Then, just prior to reaching santy, the hold was deleted and I was told to continue inbound. After woodside VOR, I was vectored to the runway 28R visual (straight-in) approach. No reference was made to the quiet bridge procedure. I elected to fly the radials of the quiet bridge procedure since it approximates a straight-in and I already had it programmed in the GNS. Approach pointed out an air carrier B757 and instructed me to follow him and maintain 210 KTS. It was getting busy here, but not the kind of thing I hadn't done many times before. Over the bridge on 6 mi final at 1900 ft (200 KTS), there is a dogleg to the left to join the localizer and navigation to the runway. The autoplt was engaged in IAS mode and I intended to push 'approach' and give the autoplt a heading for intercept. I must have pushed heading instead because the autoplt flew through the localizer and, when I acquired the runway visually, I was lined up with runway 28L. As I corrected back to the runway 28R final, the tower asked if I was lined up on the correct runway. I told them I was correcting and the remainder of the arrival was uneventful. There was no mention of any conflict, but it could have been serious. I think the problem was task overload. I was trying to use the automation while flying a visual approach at an unusually high approach speed. When flying alone, you can fly by reference to instruments (at the appropriate speed) or you can fly visually, but combining them invites overload.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KING AIR C90 SINGLE PLT ALLOWED HIS AUTOPLT TO OVERSHOOT RWY 28R AND LINE UP ON RWY 28L WHILE ON APCH TO SFO.

Narrative: I HADN'T FLOWN INTO SFO FOR SEVERAL YRS, BUT I AM A COMPETENT PLT IN HIGH DENSITY TFC AREAS. I KNEW THAT A SINGLE PLT ARR AT SFO IS NO WALK IN THE PARK, SO I REVIEWED CHARTS AND APCH PLATES FOR ABOUT 2 HRS THE DAY PRIOR. THERE ARE SO MANY APCHS AND SIDS/STARS TO SFO THAT IT'S HARD TO STUDY THEM ALL, BUT I FOCUSED ON THE 2 CHARTED VISUAL APCHS TO RWYS 28. APCHING THE SFO TERMINAL AREA, ON INITIAL CALL TO SIERRA APCH, I WAS ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT SANTY INTXN. THEN, JUST PRIOR TO REACHING SANTY, THE HOLD WAS DELETED AND I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE INBOUND. AFTER WOODSIDE VOR, I WAS VECTORED TO THE RWY 28R VISUAL (STRAIGHT-IN) APCH. NO REF WAS MADE TO THE QUIET BRIDGE PROC. I ELECTED TO FLY THE RADIALS OF THE QUIET BRIDGE PROC SINCE IT APPROXIMATES A STRAIGHT-IN AND I ALREADY HAD IT PROGRAMMED IN THE GNS. APCH POINTED OUT AN ACR B757 AND INSTRUCTED ME TO FOLLOW HIM AND MAINTAIN 210 KTS. IT WAS GETTING BUSY HERE, BUT NOT THE KIND OF THING I HADN'T DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE. OVER THE BRIDGE ON 6 MI FINAL AT 1900 FT (200 KTS), THERE IS A DOGLEG TO THE L TO JOIN THE LOC AND NAV TO THE RWY. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED IN IAS MODE AND I INTENDED TO PUSH 'APCH' AND GIVE THE AUTOPLT A HDG FOR INTERCEPT. I MUST HAVE PUSHED HDG INSTEAD BECAUSE THE AUTOPLT FLEW THROUGH THE LOC AND, WHEN I ACQUIRED THE RWY VISUALLY, I WAS LINED UP WITH RWY 28L. AS I CORRECTED BACK TO THE RWY 28R FINAL, THE TWR ASKED IF I WAS LINED UP ON THE CORRECT RWY. I TOLD THEM I WAS CORRECTING AND THE REMAINDER OF THE ARR WAS UNEVENTFUL. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY CONFLICT, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS. I THINK THE PROB WAS TASK OVERLOAD. I WAS TRYING TO USE THE AUTOMATION WHILE FLYING A VISUAL APCH AT AN UNUSUALLY HIGH APCH SPD. WHEN FLYING ALONE, YOU CAN FLY BY REF TO INSTS (AT THE APPROPRIATE SPD) OR YOU CAN FLY VISUALLY, BUT COMBINING THEM INVITES OVERLOAD.

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.