Narrative:

WX was good VFR. Approach control held us 4100 ft AGL until in close proximity to the airport. We called the airport 'in sight' several times and were told that the tower was unable to clear us for a visual approach because of an aircraft on a practice instrument approach to another runway (our requested runway did intersect with the practice instrument approach aircraft's runway). Approach control eventually cleared us for the visual approach and switched us over to tower. We contacted tower and notified them that we would be making a left 360 degree turn to lose altitude. Tower asked if approach control had cleared us for the 360 degree turn. My response was, 'we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 26.' tower asked the same question a second time. My response was the same. Tower responded with 'okay.' after completing flight, I wondered why the tower would not issue us the visual approach clearance. I consulted the 1995 far/aim. I was not able to locate anything that would support not issuing simultaneous visual approachs in the preceding scenario. However, the glossary definition of visual approach states that 'the pilot must, at all times, have either the airport or the preceding aircraft in sight.' airport is defined as, 'an area on land or water that is used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of aircraft and includes its buildings and facilities, if any.' technically, our 360 degree turn to lose altitude would not have allowed us to keep the airport in sight at all times, therefore violating the visual approach clearance. Also, please note the following: 1) grand forks approach control is provided by military personnel at nearby grand forks air force base. 2) grand forks tower is not radar equipped. The tower is staffed by FAA ATC controllers. 3) grand forks international airport is the home of the university of north dakota flight training facilities. Student traffic in this airspace is high. 4) communication between approach and tower appears to be poor from my point of view.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ON VISUAL APCH MADE UNAUTH 360 DEG TURN.

Narrative: WX WAS GOOD VFR. APCH CTL HELD US 4100 FT AGL UNTIL IN CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT. WE CALLED THE ARPT 'IN SIGHT' SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE TOLD THAT THE TWR WAS UNABLE TO CLR US FOR A VISUAL APCH BECAUSE OF AN ACFT ON A PRACTICE INST APCH TO ANOTHER RWY (OUR REQUESTED RWY DID INTERSECT WITH THE PRACTICE INST APCH ACFT'S RWY). APCH CTL EVENTUALLY CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND SWITCHED US OVER TO TWR. WE CONTACTED TWR AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING A L 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. TWR ASKED IF APCH CTL HAD CLRED US FOR THE 360 DEG TURN. MY RESPONSE WAS, 'WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26.' TWR ASKED THE SAME QUESTION A SECOND TIME. MY RESPONSE WAS THE SAME. TWR RESPONDED WITH 'OKAY.' AFTER COMPLETING FLT, I WONDERED WHY THE TWR WOULD NOT ISSUE US THE VISUAL APCH CLRNC. I CONSULTED THE 1995 FAR/AIM. I WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE ANYTHING THAT WOULD SUPPORT NOT ISSUING SIMULTANEOUS VISUAL APCHS IN THE PRECEDING SCENARIO. HOWEVER, THE GLOSSARY DEFINITION OF VISUAL APCH STATES THAT 'THE PLT MUST, AT ALL TIMES, HAVE EITHER THE ARPT OR THE PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT.' ARPT IS DEFINED AS, 'AN AREA ON LAND OR WATER THAT IS USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR THE LNDG AND TKOF OF ACFT AND INCLUDES ITS BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES, IF ANY.' TECHNICALLY, OUR 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED US TO KEEP THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES, THEREFORE VIOLATING THE VISUAL APCH CLRNC. ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1) GRAND FORKS APCH CTL IS PROVIDED BY MIL PERSONNEL AT NEARBY GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE. 2) GRAND FORKS TWR IS NOT RADAR EQUIPPED. THE TWR IS STAFFED BY FAA ATC CTLRS. 3) GRAND FORKS INTL ARPT IS THE HOME OF THE UNIVERSITY OF N DAKOTA FLT TRAINING FACILITIES. STUDENT TFC IN THIS AIRSPACE IS HIGH. 4) COM BTWN APCH AND TWR APPEARS TO BE POOR FROM MY POINT OF VIEW.

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.