Narrative:

We were on an assigned heading, which was a left downwind for runway 30L into sjc, at night, 5000 ft MSL, at a speed of 200 KIAS. ATC advised us of traffic at 10 O'clock position, and low, a B737 straight in final for runway 30L, and a second B737 at our 12 O'clock position, straight in for runway 30R. ATC then told us we were to follow the first B737 to runway 30L, and asked if we had both aircraft in sight. We did have both in sight and declared that to ATC. We were then cleared for a visual approach to runway 30L. Our plan at that point was to continue on our present heading to allow the second B737 to pass us and to also descend to stay on profile. Almost immediately ATC told us to start our turn. Due to the fact we were only a thousand pounds below landing weight (ie, heavy), high on the profile, and with the second B737 still ahead of us I was reluctant to start a regular turn to final. I elected to gradually turn and kept the second B737 at our 12 O'clock position, for spacing. We were on a dogleg to final when we made our first call to tower who at that time said we were cleared to land runway 30L, traffic following is a B737, 3 mi final for the left and the other traffic ahead of us. At no time were we ever given any closure advisories, or even at what speed the other aircraft were flying. In addition we were on a 7.5 mi final which meant that we were only 4 mi behind our traffic for runway 30L. If we had made a regular turn we would have been too close behind the first aircraft, unable to maintain visual with the second, and very high on the profile. At this point we were less than 1/2 mi behind the second B737 and gradually slowing. The second B737 appeared to start slowing rapidly and climbed in order to bleed speed and configure. Due to our proximity and weight we were unable to slow our aircraft as fast and ended up passing the second B737 about 1000 ft off our right wing. We, as a crew, felt that this situation was very uncomfortable and that we were unnecessarily placed in it in large part by ATC, and small part by the fact that we were trying to 'help' ATC. Due to the fact that it was night and we could not tell closure rates, we should never have taken the turn command from ATC and continued on our more conservative plan, the visual approach that we had planned. ATC could have helped by also giving us speed information, which they did not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 VISUAL APCH TO SJC RWY 30L IS FRUSTRATED WITH ATC'S SVC DURING VISUAL SIDE BY OPS.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED HEADING, WHICH WAS A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30L INTO SJC, AT NIGHT, 5000 FT MSL, AT A SPD OF 200 KIAS. ATC ADVISED US OF TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, AND LOW, A B737 STRAIGHT IN FINAL FOR RWY 30L, AND A SECOND B737 AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 30R. ATC THEN TOLD US WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE FIRST B737 TO RWY 30L, AND ASKED IF WE HAD BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT. WE DID HAVE BOTH IN SIGHT AND DECLARED THAT TO ATC. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30L. OUR PLAN AT THAT POINT WAS TO CONTINUE ON OUR PRESENT HEADING TO ALLOW THE SECOND B737 TO PASS US AND TO ALSO DSND TO STAY ON PROFILE. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ATC TOLD US TO START OUR TURN. DUE TO THE FACT WE WERE ONLY A THOUSAND POUNDS BELOW LNDG WT (IE, HVY), HIGH ON THE PROFILE, AND WITH THE SECOND B737 STILL AHEAD OF US I WAS RELUCTANT TO START A REGULAR TURN TO FINAL. I ELECTED TO GRADUALLY TURN AND KEPT THE SECOND B737 AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, FOR SPACING. WE WERE ON A DOGLEG TO FINAL WHEN WE MADE OUR FIRST CALL TO TWR WHO AT THAT TIME SAID WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 30L, TFC FOLLOWING IS A B737, 3 MI FINAL FOR THE L AND THE OTHER TFC AHEAD OF US. AT NO TIME WERE WE EVER GIVEN ANY CLOSURE ADVISORIES, OR EVEN AT WHAT SPD THE OTHER ACFT WERE FLYING. IN ADDITION WE WERE ON A 7.5 MI FINAL WHICH MEANT THAT WE WERE ONLY 4 MI BEHIND OUR TFC FOR RWY 30L. IF WE HAD MADE A REGULAR TURN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE BEHIND THE FIRST ACFT, UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH THE SECOND, AND VERY HIGH ON THE PROFILE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE LESS THAN 1/2 MI BEHIND THE SECOND B737 AND GRADUALLY SLOWING. THE SECOND B737 APPEARED TO START SLOWING RAPIDLY AND CLBED IN ORDER TO BLEED SPD AND CONFIGURE. DUE TO OUR PROX AND WT WE WERE UNABLE TO SLOW OUR ACFT AS FAST AND ENDED UP PASSING THE SECOND B737 ABOUT 1000 FT OFF OUR R WING. WE, AS A CREW, FELT THAT THIS SIT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND THAT WE WERE UNNECESSARILY PLACED IN IT IN LARGE PART BY ATC, AND SMALL PART BY THE FACT THAT WE WERE TRYING TO 'HELP' ATC. DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHT AND WE COULD NOT TELL CLOSURE RATES, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN THE TURN COMMAND FROM ATC AND CONTINUED ON OUR MORE CONSERVATIVE PLAN, THE VISUAL APCH THAT WE HAD PLANNED. ATC COULD HAVE HELPED BY ALSO GIVING US SPD INFO, WHICH THEY DID NOT.

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.