Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Airport; Weather
[We had a] go-around and diversion due to SFO ceiling at 400 FT AGL. Only approach available was LOC DME 28L; MDA of 460 FT. On approach at [our diversion airport] we were showing an EFOB at [our diversion airport] of 4.2. I declared a low fuel advisory because an unnecessary go-around would put us back in [our diversion airport] with about 3.0 FOB.The event occurred due to the continued inadequate facilities provided by the San Francisco Airport.
The reporter stated that SFO operations are back to normal with the ILS up and running. There is also a new ILS on Runway 28L (he believes) with a lower glide path which allows aircraft to be closely spaced trailing on Runway 28R with a high angle (3.0) approach thus keeping the trailing aircraft behind and above the lead aircraft. The day of this event he was extremely frustrating with the series of events which lead to the diversion and so this report was submitted.
An Air Carrier Captain executed a go-around on the SFO LOC DME 28L at minimums (460 FT) and because no other approach was available the flight diverted to a nearby airport.