ACR LGT RPT ON BAY APCH CTLR TECHNIQUE ATC REQUIRING AN ALT XING RESTR ON RWY 19L VISUAL APCH OF '3000 FT UNTIL THE 8 DME.' CLRNC INTERP PROB WITH REGARDS TO USING EITHER THE VOR OR ILS DME. THE ALT XING WOULD RESULT IN A VIOLATION OF THE STABILIZED APCH CONCEPT. ALTDEV XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative

CALLED FIELD IN SIGHT AND THEN CLRED BY APCH FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L SFO 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL 8 DME.' PNF SWITCHED TO ISIA RAW DATA FOR DME AND SAID 'ON ILS FOR THE DME.' RECEIVED NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM PF. PF WAS SET UP ON FMC FOR THE ILS 19L WITH PROGRESS PAGE DISPLAYED FOR DISTANCE TO GO INFO. PNF CHKED ALT AND SAW 2700 FT THEN DME (ISIA) 9.0. PNF SAID 'WE'RE CLR TO 3000 FT UNTIL 8 DME?' PF RESPONDED 'I'M ABOVE THE GS; I'VE GOT 5 MI TO THE RWY' POINTING TO THE PROGRESS PAGE ON THE FMC. AT THIS POINT WE CROSSED 8.0 DME AT 2500 FT MSL STILL ABOVE THE GS. DURING ARR RECEIVED NUMEROUS SPD ALT AND HEADING CHANGES (MANY MORE THAN ORDINARY). HELD HIGH THROUGH MOST OF THE ARR AND REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS UNTIL 5 MI. PF HAD INTERPRETED THE APCH PLATE AS THE GS WOULD PROVIDE ALT CLRNC TO MEET THE 3000 FT AT 8 DME RESTR. PNF HAD ASSUMED PF KNEW RAW DATA DME WAS AVAILABLE ON THE RIGHT DISTANCE DISPLAY OF THE RIGHT DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIP. ATC DID NOT SPECIFY 8 DME FROM WHAT NAV; SFO? ISIA? COMPLYING WITH THE ALT/AIRSPD RESTRS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A GAR SINCE WE WOULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME MEETING THE COMPANY'S REQUIREMENTS TO BE STABILIZED ON THE APCH BY 1000 FT AGL (VISUAL). NO CONFLICTS OR TCASII ALERTS OR ADVISORIES OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE APCH. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AFTER SIDESTEPPING TO RWY 29R AT TWR'S REQUEST.