Narrative:

This is in reference to extremely poor air traffic control service received by us last night on approach to sfo. Our experience with sfo approach and tower was terrible the whole way in. We were cleared the 'quiet bridge visual runway 28R' and on a heading of approximately 240 degrees with the radial centered. Approach control's late clearance for us resulted in our track slightly left off course (no more than 1/4 DOT) while turning back to the radial. We were cleared to slow to 180 KTS. Approach was talking to another aircraft and said 'aircraft X is off the radial.' we wouldn't have been if he had issued the proper turn at the proper time and this was only a min or so after we were cleared the qb visual (he barely gave us time to turn). Approach then gave us a heading of 340 degrees and re-intercept the qb visual. Traffic was called (a B767) to our 10-11 O'clock position for runway 28L. We acknowledged and traffic was called at our 12 O'clock position; 2 mi ahead or less; we acknowledged and the controller cleared us to follow air carrier Y B737 for a visual approach to runway 28R. At this time; we were wondering where the B737 came from? Next; we were cleared to slow to approach speed and do an 'south' turn to the north. We complied but knew spacing was tight and were prepared for a go around if necessary. After turning back to final; we were switched to tower; the tower controller immediately gave us another 'south' turn to the north. By this time; we were close in; doing multiple 'south' turns at night; and had inadequate spacing; very poor controller timing. I asked for a 360 degree turn but it was denied. The tower controller then switched us to land on runway 28L and did not even give us the localizer frequency. After landing on runway 28L; the controller interrupted our landing rollout with taxi instructions. He told us to take taxiway J which we could not find and it caused immediate confusion; turns out they cleared us abeam and after we had already passed 'J.' we continued uneventfully to 'east' and switched to ground control. To re-cap; several issues: 1) approach controller issues late clearance onto qb visual radial resulting in overshoot; indirectly blames us. 2) approach controller surprises us with traffic on the same arrival ahead of us with 2 mi or less spacing. Issues 'south' turns at approach speed. This whole situation was uncomfortable and borderline unsafe. 3) tower controller issues another immediate 'south' turn at approach speed close in. 4) tower controller issues taxi instructions during landing rollout and calls for us to turn on a taxiway we already passed creating some confusion. Bottom-line; in my 13 1/2 yrs I've now filed 3 reports. Two in the last month. This is the only recourse I know of for a situation like this. This whole event was not our fault and progressively got worse due to poor controller skills. Although everything worked out and was safe; what other recourse is there for ATC errors? Can we land and have them call a phone number like they do to us? I've flown into sfo many times before and have never experienced anything like this. Of similar note; flying out of ZZZ1 2 weeks ago we were filed to FL370. During the climb; we were still a little heavy and requested FL330. The controller actually bickered with us and told us to plan better in the future. He wanted to argue and started on a dissertation of how our request would mess things up in his airspace; so what exactly is the job of the departure controller? I'm not sure of the recent negative trend I'm seeing there; but I'll do my best to fly by the regulations and be courteous. I hope ATC can do the same and sfo will receive feedback for their errors as we do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 LNDG SFO DURING VISUAL SIDE-BY OPS; EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ATC HANDLING FROM BOTH NCT AND SFO CTLRS.

Narrative: THIS IS IN REF TO EXTREMELY POOR AIR TFC CTL SVC RECEIVED BY US LAST NIGHT ON APCH TO SFO. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH SFO APCH AND TWR WAS TERRIBLE THE WHOLE WAY IN. WE WERE CLRED THE 'QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R' AND ON A HDG OF APPROX 240 DEGS WITH THE RADIAL CTRED. APCH CTL'S LATE CLRNC FOR US RESULTED IN OUR TRACK SLIGHTLY L OFF COURSE (NO MORE THAN 1/4 DOT) WHILE TURNING BACK TO THE RADIAL. WE WERE CLRED TO SLOW TO 180 KTS. APCH WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT AND SAID 'ACFT X IS OFF THE RADIAL.' WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IF HE HAD ISSUED THE PROPER TURN AT THE PROPER TIME AND THIS WAS ONLY A MIN OR SO AFTER WE WERE CLRED THE QB VISUAL (HE BARELY GAVE US TIME TO TURN). APCH THEN GAVE US A HDG OF 340 DEGS AND RE-INTERCEPT THE QB VISUAL. TFC WAS CALLED (A B767) TO OUR 10-11 O'CLOCK POS FOR RWY 28L. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND TFC WAS CALLED AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS; 2 MI AHEAD OR LESS; WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE CTLR CLRED US TO FOLLOW ACR Y B737 FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R. AT THIS TIME; WE WERE WONDERING WHERE THE B737 CAME FROM? NEXT; WE WERE CLRED TO SLOW TO APCH SPD AND DO AN 'S' TURN TO THE N. WE COMPLIED BUT KNEW SPACING WAS TIGHT AND WERE PREPARED FOR A GAR IF NECESSARY. AFTER TURNING BACK TO FINAL; WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR; THE TWR CTLR IMMEDIATELY GAVE US ANOTHER 'S' TURN TO THE N. BY THIS TIME; WE WERE CLOSE IN; DOING MULTIPLE 'S' TURNS AT NIGHT; AND HAD INADEQUATE SPACING; VERY POOR CTLR TIMING. I ASKED FOR A 360 DEG TURN BUT IT WAS DENIED. THE TWR CTLR THEN SWITCHED US TO LAND ON RWY 28L AND DID NOT EVEN GIVE US THE LOC FREQ. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 28L; THE CTLR INTERRUPTED OUR LNDG ROLLOUT WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. HE TOLD US TO TAKE TXWY J WHICH WE COULD NOT FIND AND IT CAUSED IMMEDIATE CONFUSION; TURNS OUT THEY CLRED US ABEAM AND AFTER WE HAD ALREADY PASSED 'J.' WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO 'E' AND SWITCHED TO GND CTL. TO RE-CAP; SEVERAL ISSUES: 1) APCH CTLR ISSUES LATE CLRNC ONTO QB VISUAL RADIAL RESULTING IN OVERSHOOT; INDIRECTLY BLAMES US. 2) APCH CTLR SURPRISES US WITH TFC ON THE SAME ARR AHEAD OF US WITH 2 MI OR LESS SPACING. ISSUES 'S' TURNS AT APCH SPD. THIS WHOLE SITUATION WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AND BORDERLINE UNSAFE. 3) TWR CTLR ISSUES ANOTHER IMMEDIATE 'S' TURN AT APCH SPD CLOSE IN. 4) TWR CTLR ISSUES TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DURING LNDG ROLLOUT AND CALLS FOR US TO TURN ON A TXWY WE ALREADY PASSED CREATING SOME CONFUSION. BOTTOM-LINE; IN MY 13 1/2 YRS I'VE NOW FILED 3 RPTS. TWO IN THE LAST MONTH. THIS IS THE ONLY RECOURSE I KNOW OF FOR A SITUATION LIKE THIS. THIS WHOLE EVENT WAS NOT OUR FAULT AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE DUE TO POOR CTLR SKILLS. ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AND WAS SAFE; WHAT OTHER RECOURSE IS THERE FOR ATC ERRORS? CAN WE LAND AND HAVE THEM CALL A PHONE NUMBER LIKE THEY DO TO US? I'VE FLOWN INTO SFO MANY TIMES BEFORE AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. OF SIMILAR NOTE; FLYING OUT OF ZZZ1 2 WKS AGO WE WERE FILED TO FL370. DURING THE CLB; WE WERE STILL A LITTLE HVY AND REQUESTED FL330. THE CTLR ACTUALLY BICKERED WITH US AND TOLD US TO PLAN BETTER IN THE FUTURE. HE WANTED TO ARGUE AND STARTED ON A DISSERTATION OF HOW OUR REQUEST WOULD MESS THINGS UP IN HIS AIRSPACE; SO WHAT EXACTLY IS THE JOB OF THE DEP CTLR? I'M NOT SURE OF THE RECENT NEGATIVE TREND I'M SEEING THERE; BUT I'LL DO MY BEST TO FLY BY THE REGS AND BE COURTEOUS. I HOPE ATC CAN DO THE SAME AND SFO WILL RECEIVE FEEDBACK FOR THEIR ERRORS AS WE DO.

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.