Narrative:

We were IFR and were given a descent to 1600' MSL by the approach controller and were told to expect a visual approach to runway 19. Out of 2000' MSL we started to see the ground and the first officer said he thought he saw the airport off our right. We were out of 1800' MSL when I looked and we were crossing the final approach course for 19 about 4-5 miles from the airport and the ILS indications for 19 verified this. We had the ILS tuned in. We told the controller we had the airport in sight so he cleared us for the visual approach to runway 19. By the time I turned back towards the airport, we were about 4 miles northeast of the airport and were in no position to make a normal approach to 19. I continued my turn (right turn) to a heading of 270 degree and was crossing the final approach 3 mi from the airport. The distances are estimated because the DME was notamed out. I told the first officer to ask the controller for a right turn back to final from my 270 degree heading. The controller thought we were already turning which we weren't because we saw traffic at 2 O'clock to our position. The controller yelled, 'negative maintain a 270 degree heading climb to 3000', I have IFR traffic at your 2 O'clock position.' I told the controller I was not turning and that we did have a visual on the traffic. He then cleared us for the visual approach again, to follow that traffic, after arriving at the terminal, I called the controller to find out what happened. He said he had just come on duty and I was the second aircraft he had worked and he thought the ceiling was 3400 MSL instead of 2000 and also admitted that he did give us a lousy vector for the visual approach. I think that I also should have requested a position report from the controller due to the fact that the DME was out and we were unsure of our position (distance from the airport on our descent). The controller said there was no traffic confliction due to this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLT UNABLE TO COMPLETE VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE IFR AND WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 1600' MSL BY THE APCH CTLR AND WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19. OUT OF 2000' MSL WE STARTED TO SEE THE GND AND THE F/O SAID HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE ARPT OFF OUR RIGHT. WE WERE OUT OF 1800' MSL WHEN I LOOKED AND WE WERE XING THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR 19 ABOUT 4-5 MILES FROM THE ARPT AND THE ILS INDICATIONS FOR 19 VERIFIED THIS. WE HAD THE ILS TUNED IN. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT SO HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19. BY THE TIME I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT, WE WERE ABOUT 4 MILES NE OF THE ARPT AND WERE IN NO POSITION TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH TO 19. I CONTINUED MY TURN (RIGHT TURN) TO A HDG OF 270 DEG AND WAS XING THE FINAL APCH 3 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE DISTANCES ARE ESTIMATED BECAUSE THE DME WAS NOTAMED OUT. I TOLD THE F/O TO ASK THE CTLR FOR A RIGHT TURN BACK TO FINAL FROM MY 270 DEG HDG. THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY TURNING WHICH WE WEREN'T BECAUSE WE SAW TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK TO OUR POSITION. THE CTLR YELLED, 'NEGATIVE MAINTAIN A 270 DEG HDG CLIMB TO 3000', I HAVE IFR TFC AT YOUR 2 O'CLOCK POSITION.' I TOLD THE CTLR I WAS NOT TURNING AND THAT WE DID HAVE A VISUAL ON THE TFC. HE THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AGAIN, TO FOLLOW THAT TFC, AFTER ARRIVING AT THE TERMINAL, I CALLED THE CTLR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE HAD JUST COME ON DUTY AND I WAS THE SECOND ACFT HE HAD WORKED AND HE THOUGHT THE CEILING WAS 3400 MSL INSTEAD OF 2000 AND ALSO ADMITTED THAT HE DID GIVE US A LOUSY VECTOR FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I THINK THAT I ALSO SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A POSITION REPORT FROM THE CTLR DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DME WAS OUT AND WE WERE UNSURE OF OUR POSITION (DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT ON OUR DSCNT). THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICTION DUE TO THIS INCIDENT.

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.