Flight crew failed to comply with visual approach procedure restrictions.

Attributes
ACN	114095
Time
Date	198906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : uhm airport : yhm
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : yyz
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 18400
ASRS Report	114095
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a clear day, approach control cleared us for a 'visual approach as published'. We briefly looked for an approach plate marked 'visual approach', but could not find one. Since we were close to the airport and had it well in sight, we descended to 1500' AGL for a visual base leg entry. The tower told us that we were lower than the published visual approach procedure. At that time we told him we did not have that approach information and we cancelled IFR. After landing, I looked slowly and carefully through the approach plates and found the visual approach procedure in printed text form. We had not had enough time to safely locate this information when previously cleared for approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO COMPLY WITH VISUAL APCH PROC RESTRICTIONS.

Narrative: ON A CLEAR DAY, APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A 'VISUAL APCH AS PUBLISHED'. WE BRIEFLY LOOKED FOR AN APCH PLATE MARKED 'VISUAL APCH', BUT COULD NOT FIND ONE. SINCE WE WERE CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND HAD IT WELL IN SIGHT, WE DESCENDED TO 1500' AGL FOR A VISUAL BASE LEG ENTRY. THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE WERE LOWER THAN THE PUBLISHED VISUAL APCH PROC. AT THAT TIME WE TOLD HIM WE DID NOT HAVE THAT APCH INFO AND WE CANCELLED IFR. AFTER LNDG, I LOOKED SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY THROUGH THE APCH PLATES AND FOUND THE VISUAL APCH PROC IN PRINTED TEXT FORM. WE HAD NOT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO SAFELY LOCATE THIS INFO WHEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED FOR APCH.

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.