Flight crew of cpr aircraft unable to accept visual. Cleared to heading and altitude. Frequency crow...

Attributes
ACN	185400
Time
Date	199108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	185400
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

15 mi northwest of airport. In contact with mia approach control, informed approach control of airport in sight and requested a visual approach. Approach gave us a 180 degree heading and maintain 4000 ft. Ft lauderdale was using 9L at the time. After several mins on this heading, while approach was working a foreign carrier out of mia, he cleared us for a visual approach to 9L. At this time due to several small cloud buildups between us and the airport I had to inform approach that we could not accept a visual approach. He told us to maintain heading and altitude and went back to the foreign carrier who was asking questions about his clearance. At the same time we could see a small thunderstorm with visible lightning in our 12 O'clock position about 10 mi. Not being able to contact approach control because of the frequency being tied up by approach and the foreign carrier and the fact that we could not continue on our 180 heading much longer and that we had a break in the clouds right at the extended centerline for 9L at fll and good VFR from that point, all the way to the airport, the captain decided to turn to the airport and begin a visual approach. At the same time I attempted again to contact approach control but was again blocked by the other carrier. I then switched to fll tower and informed them that we were on a visual approach to 9L. The tower controller told us that approach control wanted us back on their frequency and that we were not cleared for the approach. I then asked tower to cancel our IFR and permission to land VFR which was given with the message that we call approach control on the landline. We should have informed fll tower that we had not cancelled IFR with approach -- or even better, stayed with approach for vectors around for another approach. I feel that fatigue had some effect on our judgement -- we were completing an all night trip from the west coast.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF CPR ACFT UNABLE TO ACCEPT VISUAL. CLRED TO HDG AND ALT. FREQ CROWDED. UNABLE TO ADVISE CTLR OF BREAK ALLOWING A VFR APCH. FLT TURNED AND DSNDED.

Narrative: 15 MI NW OF ARPT. IN CONTACT WITH MIA APCH CTL, INFORMED APCH CTL OF ARPT IN SIGHT AND REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH. APCH GAVE US A 180 DEG HDG AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. FT LAUDERDALE WAS USING 9L AT THE TIME. AFTER SEVERAL MINS ON THIS HDG, WHILE APCH WAS WORKING A FOREIGN CARRIER OUT OF MIA, HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 9L. AT THIS TIME DUE TO SEVERAL SMALL CLOUD BUILDUPS BETWEEN US AND THE ARPT I HAD TO INFORM APCH THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH. HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN HDG AND ALT AND WENT BACK TO THE FOREIGN CARRIER WHO WAS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS CLRNC. AT THE SAME TIME WE COULD SEE A SMALL TSTM WITH VISIBLE LIGHTNING IN OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 10 MI. NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT APCH CTL BECAUSE OF THE FREQ BEING TIED UP BY APCH AND THE FOREIGN CARRIER AND THE FACT THAT WE COULD NOT CONTINUE ON OUR 180 HDG MUCH LONGER AND THAT WE HAD A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS RIGHT AT THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR 9L AT FLL AND GOOD VFR FROM THAT POINT, ALL THE WAY TO THE ARPT, THE CAPT DECIDED TO TURN TO THE ARPT AND BEGIN A VISUAL APCH. AT THE SAME TIME I ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO CONTACT APCH CTL BUT WAS AGAIN BLOCKED BY THE OTHER CARRIER. I THEN SWITCHED TO FLL TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE ON A VISUAL APCH TO 9L. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US THAT APCH CTL WANTED US BACK ON THEIR FREQ AND THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE APCH. I THEN ASKED TWR TO CANCEL OUR IFR AND PERMISSION TO LAND VFR WHICH WAS GIVEN WITH THE MESSAGE THAT WE CALL APCH CTL ON THE LANDLINE. WE SHOULD HAVE INFORMED FLL TWR THAT WE HAD NOT CANCELLED IFR WITH APCH -- OR EVEN BETTER, STAYED WITH APCH FOR VECTORS AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH. I FEEL THAT FATIGUE HAD SOME EFFECT ON OUR JUDGEMENT -- WE WERE COMPLETING AN ALL NIGHT TRIP FROM THE WEST COAST.

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

Flight crew of cpr aircraft unable to accept visual. Cleared to heading and altitude. Frequency crowded. Unable to advise controller of break allowing a VFR approach. Flight turned and descended.