Narrative:

During the later portion of the yosem one RNAV we were told to expect a visual approach to runway 28L. Approximately 15 miles out we were asked if we had the airport and a company B777 on a right base to final for runway 28R in sight. We said we had both in sight and subsequently cleared visual to runway 28L maintaining visual on the B777. When the B777 rolled out he was behind and to our right; a non factor throughout the approach. Soon after the controller called out some more traffic; a B747; that was on a left base to final for runway 28L. We told him we had him in sight and he told us to maintain visual separation and caution wake turbulence. He rolled out about 6 miles ahead based on TCAS. Soon after that the controller cleared the airplane to sidestep over to runway 28R and told us our traffic now was a B767 on short final. I briefed my first officer as a precaution I would fly high on the glide path to avoid the wake turbulence. Flying a half DOT high I soon encountered the B747 wake turbulence causing the airplane to sharply roll to the right followed by a sharp roll to the left. The bank never exceeded 30 degrees either direction. I leveled off briefly and regained aircraft control and continued the approach higher on the path until short final. I flew a stabilized final according to company SOP. The issue occurred on the ground when I found out the flight attendants were still up in the aisles when this event happened. Two of them were thrown into the seats and the other fell in the aft galley. No injuries were reported as a result. Supplemental information from acn 726127: during arrival sfo; we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 28L. We were below 6;000 ft descending to 3;000 ft. Our traffic was a B777 on runway 28R approach slightly behind us. After the clearance we were given additional traffic ahead of us; a B747; that was subsequently cleared to transition to runway 28R ahead of the B777. The captain and I noted that the B747 was about 6 miles ahead of us using the TCAS indications (white diamond outside the 5 mile arc). The captain elected to fly 'about a half-DOT high' on our approach to avoid wake turbulence. He stated this out loud and I concurred it was a prudent move. At about 2000 ft AGL; roughly over the san mateo bridge; we sustained a fairly rapid roll to the right -- about 30 degrees -- followed by an equally rapid roll to the left -- about 20 degrees. The nose came up a few degrees but was easily controlled back to an approach attitude. The whole episode took maybe 4 seconds; probably less. We never felt the aircraft was upset enough to warrant a go around; we just noted that we had passed through some wake turbulence and the captain continued the approach to a safe landing. He did elect to remain slightly high on the approach until we were well past the B747's track for runway 28L. We concluded that the B747 must have been high on the approach path prior to maneuvering for runway 28R. We discovered after landing in discussion with the flight attendant crew that two flight attendants at the rear of the aircraft had been knocked off their feet and fell with some minor bruising.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB WHILE ON APCH TO SFO.

Narrative: DURING THE LATER PORTION OF THE YOSEM ONE RNAV WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OUT WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT AND A COMPANY B777 ON A RIGHT BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 28R IN SIGHT. WE SAID WE HAD BOTH IN SIGHT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED VISUAL TO RWY 28L MAINTAINING VISUAL ON THE B777. WHEN THE B777 ROLLED OUT HE WAS BEHIND AND TO OUR RIGHT; A NON FACTOR THROUGHOUT THE APCH. SOON AFTER THE CTLR CALLED OUT SOME MORE TFC; A B747; THAT WAS ON A LEFT BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 28L. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE. HE ROLLED OUT ABOUT 6 MILES AHEAD BASED ON TCAS. SOON AFTER THAT THE CTLR CLEARED THE AIRPLANE TO SIDESTEP OVER TO RWY 28R AND TOLD US OUR TFC NOW WAS A B767 ON SHORT FINAL. I BRIEFED MY FO AS A PRECAUTION I WOULD FLY HIGH ON THE GLIDE PATH TO AVOID THE WAKE TURBULENCE. FLYING A HALF DOT HIGH I SOON ENCOUNTERED THE B747 WAKE TURBULENCE CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SHARPLY ROLL TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY A SHARP ROLL TO THE LEFT. THE BANK NEVER EXCEEDED 30 DEGS EITHER DIRECTION. I LEVELED OFF BRIEFLY AND REGAINED ACFT CONTROL AND CONTINUED THE APCH HIGHER ON THE PATH UNTIL SHORT FINAL. I FLEW A STABILIZED FINAL ACCORDING TO COMPANY SOP. THE ISSUE OCCURRED ON THE GROUND WHEN I FOUND OUT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE STILL UP IN THE AISLES WHEN THIS EVENT HAPPENED. TWO OF THEM WERE THROWN INTO THE SEATS AND THE OTHER FELL IN THE AFT GALLEY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 726127: DURING ARR SFO; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. WE WERE BELOW 6;000 FT DESCENDING TO 3;000 FT. OUR TFC WAS A B777 ON RWY 28R APCH SLIGHTLY BEHIND US. AFTER THE CLEARANCE WE WERE GIVEN ADDITIONAL TFC AHEAD OF US; A B747; THAT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO TRANSITION TO RWY 28R AHEAD OF THE B777. THE CAPT AND I NOTED THAT THE B747 WAS ABOUT 6 MILES AHEAD OF US USING THE TCAS INDICATIONS (WHITE DIAMOND OUTSIDE THE 5 MILE ARC). THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY 'ABOUT A HALF-DOT HIGH' ON OUR APCH TO AVOID WAKE TURB. HE STATED THIS OUT LOUD AND I CONCURRED IT WAS A PRUDENT MOVE. AT ABOUT 2000 FT AGL; ROUGHLY OVER THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE; WE SUSTAINED A FAIRLY RAPID ROLL TO THE RIGHT -- ABOUT 30 DEGS -- FOLLOWED BY AN EQUALLY RAPID ROLL TO THE LEFT -- ABOUT 20 DEGS. THE NOSE CAME UP A FEW DEGS BUT WAS EASILY CONTROLLED BACK TO AN APCH ATTITUDE. THE WHOLE EPISODE TOOK MAYBE 4 SECONDS; PROBABLY LESS. WE NEVER FELT THE ACFT WAS UPSET ENOUGH TO WARRANT A GAR; WE JUST NOTED THAT WE HAD PASSED THROUGH SOME WAKE TURB AND THE CAPT CONTINUED THE APCH TO A SAFE LNDG. HE DID ELECT TO REMAIN SLIGHTLY HIGH ON THE APPROACH UNTIL WE WERE WELL PAST THE B747'S TRACK FOR RWY 28L. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE B747 MUST HAVE BEEN HIGH ON THE APCH PATH PRIOR TO MANEUVERING FOR RWY 28R. WE DISCOVERED AFTER LNDG IN DISCUSSION WITH THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT CREW THAT TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN KNOCKED OFF THEIR FEET AND FELL WITH SOME MINOR BRUISING.

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.