Narrative:

This is the second time I have found myself in this situation when arriving at night to the south in sacramento landing on runway 16R and an air carrier Y in the area. We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 16R and there was an air carrier Y aircraft on a right downwind for runway 16L. This means the aircraft has to pass our flight path on base to make a landing on runway 16L. We were held up at 4000 ft to 9.3 mi so air carrier Y could pass under us at 3000 ft to maneuver to land on runway 16L. I had briefed a flaps 28 degree approach and landing with a rollout to the end of the runway. I had to slow down and configure with gear and flaps 40 degree leveloff and prepare for the dive after air carrier Y was clear passing under us from right to left. After I got back on profile and let the speed bleed back down; I put the flaps back to 28 degrees and was stable by 900 ft; but this whole approach was a handful and for no reason that I can see except for the fact approach wanted air carrier Y to get in on a short base. This is uncomfortable for the flight attendants; the passenger; and the flight crew. I don't know why approach doesn't extend the downwind for air carrier Y or give us a heads up that we will be passing each other at a critical point on final approach. I would much rather slow and let them pass in front of us or speed up and let them pass behind us. I called approach after we were parked at the number listed above and talked to one of the controllers about my concern and suggested they not do this to us as it is unacceptable. They wanted to know if I wanted them to pull the tapes and I said I just wanted them to stop making us make an unstable approach as I thought it was unsafe and not necessary. There were only 2 airplanes approaching sacramento at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 WITH NCT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING STABILIZED APCH TO RWY 16R INTO SMF WHEN ACR TFC ON DOWNWIND TURNED BASE UNDERNEATH THE ACFT FOR RWY 16L.

Narrative: THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE FOUND MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION WHEN ARRIVING AT NIGHT TO THE S IN SACRAMENTO LNDG ON RWY 16R AND AN ACR Y IN THE AREA. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16R AND THERE WAS AN ACR Y ACFT ON A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16L. THIS MEANS THE ACFT HAS TO PASS OUR FLT PATH ON BASE TO MAKE A LNDG ON RWY 16L. WE WERE HELD UP AT 4000 FT TO 9.3 MI SO ACR Y COULD PASS UNDER US AT 3000 FT TO MANEUVER TO LAND ON RWY 16L. I HAD BRIEFED A FLAPS 28 DEG APCH AND LNDG WITH A ROLLOUT TO THE END OF THE RWY. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND CONFIGURE WITH GEAR AND FLAPS 40 DEG LEVELOFF AND PREPARE FOR THE DIVE AFTER ACR Y WAS CLR PASSING UNDER US FROM R TO L. AFTER I GOT BACK ON PROFILE AND LET THE SPD BLEED BACK DOWN; I PUT THE FLAPS BACK TO 28 DEGS AND WAS STABLE BY 900 FT; BUT THIS WHOLE APCH WAS A HANDFUL AND FOR NO REASON THAT I CAN SEE EXCEPT FOR THE FACT APCH WANTED ACR Y TO GET IN ON A SHORT BASE. THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS; THE PAX; AND THE FLT CREW. I DON'T KNOW WHY APCH DOESN'T EXTEND THE DOWNWIND FOR ACR Y OR GIVE US A HEADS UP THAT WE WILL BE PASSING EACH OTHER AT A CRITICAL POINT ON FINAL APCH. I WOULD MUCH RATHER SLOW AND LET THEM PASS IN FRONT OF US OR SPD UP AND LET THEM PASS BEHIND US. I CALLED APCH AFTER WE WERE PARKED AT THE NUMBER LISTED ABOVE AND TALKED TO ONE OF THE CTLRS ABOUT MY CONCERN AND SUGGESTED THEY NOT DO THIS TO US AS IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED THEM TO PULL THE TAPES AND I SAID I JUST WANTED THEM TO STOP MAKING US MAKE AN UNSTABLE APCH AS I THOUGHT IT WAS UNSAFE AND NOT NECESSARY. THERE WERE ONLY 2 AIRPLANES APCHING SACRAMENTO AT THE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.