Narrative:

We were following a widebody transport on a visual approach, about 6 mi in trail, on final to dfw runway 36L. The approach controller asked if we had an small transport in sight at 2 O'clock, 3 mi. The first officer saw him and said yes. I did not see him. The controller said, 'keep an eye on him, he is visual to 36R, contact the tower.' (I presumed 'keep an eye on him' meant maintain visual sep.) I continued following the widebody transport with brief searches to the right looking for the small transport. The first officer lost sight of him. We asked the tower controller to point him out. I did see him with 1 of my looks to the right. One problem was we were higher and looking down, the small transport was camouflaged by the ground and bldgs. This was the first time I remember shooting a visual approach with the assignment to maintain visual sep with 2 aircraft. The task was literally impossible. I called the approach control facility and discussed the situations with a controller. He said there was no limit to the number of aircraft with which a pilot or controller can maintain visual sep. Another interesting point: runway 36L is about 1200' from runway 36R. The small transport was about 3 mi behind and to the right of a widebody transport with the wind from 310 degrees at 12 KTS. The small transport was in a dangerous phase. This may be legal, but it is not as safe as it should be or could be!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR LGT COMPLAINT ABOUT HAVING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH 2 ACFT WHILE ON APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE FOLLOWING A WDB ON A VISUAL APCH, ABOUT 6 MI IN TRAIL, ON FINAL TO DFW RWY 36L. THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD AN SMT IN SIGHT AT 2 O'CLOCK, 3 MI. THE F/O SAW HIM AND SAID YES. I DID NOT SEE HIM. THE CTLR SAID, 'KEEP AN EYE ON HIM, HE IS VISUAL TO 36R, CONTACT THE TWR.' (I PRESUMED 'KEEP AN EYE ON HIM' MEANT MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP.) I CONTINUED FOLLOWING THE WDB WITH BRIEF SEARCHES TO THE RIGHT LOOKING FOR THE SMT. THE F/O LOST SIGHT OF HIM. WE ASKED THE TWR CTLR TO POINT HIM OUT. I DID SEE HIM WITH 1 OF MY LOOKS TO THE RIGHT. ONE PROB WAS WE WERE HIGHER AND LOOKING DOWN, THE SMT WAS CAMOUFLAGED BY THE GND AND BLDGS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I REMEMBER SHOOTING A VISUAL APCH WITH THE ASSIGNMENT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP WITH 2 ACFT. THE TASK WAS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE. I CALLED THE APCH CTL FAC AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATIONS WITH A CTLR. HE SAID THERE WAS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF ACFT WITH WHICH A PLT OR CTLR CAN MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP. ANOTHER INTERESTING POINT: RWY 36L IS ABOUT 1200' FROM RWY 36R. THE SMT WAS ABOUT 3 MI BEHIND AND TO THE RIGHT OF A WDB WITH THE WIND FROM 310 DEGS AT 12 KTS. THE SMT WAS IN A DANGEROUS PHASE. THIS MAY BE LEGAL, BUT IT IS NOT AS SAFE AS IT SHOULD BE OR COULD BE!!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.