Narrative:

Approach control said either 'cleared for the visual' or 'expect the visual.' none of the crew is sure of the clearance. We were level at 5000 ft MSL and descended to 3800 ft MSL on the visual when approach called and said 'you were not cleared visual, but you now are, continue approach.' supplemental information from acn 316518: approach controller gave us a heading 010 degrees and descend to 5000 ft report airport in sight. I responded, heading, heading 010 degrees down to 5000 ft and we have the airport. A few mins later the controller gave us what I, the first officer and a jumpseating crew member that happened to be listening to the radio heard, as direct to the airport, enter a left downwind, cleared visual approach. The first officer was flying and I looked at my approach plate and calculated that the traffic pattern altitude would be 2400 ft MSL and I noticed that the first officer was also looking at his approach plate. We called out almost simultaneously, traffic pattern altitude 2400 ft MSL, which I set in the altitude alerter and the first officer began descent. At approximately 3800 ft MSL, the controller asked our altitude and I responded with our altitude. The controller then stated that we should be at 5000 ft MSL for noise abatement. I stated that I thought that we had been cleared for a visual approach. He responded that he had just cleared us direct to the airport. On reflection and in talking with others who were listening at the time, I believe that the controller's phraseology must have been: cleared direct to the airport, enter left downwind, expect visual approach instead of cleared visual approach. However, both the first officer and the jumpseating crew member said they heard cleared visual approach. However, we were at the end of the 11:30 duty night that had started the night before and we were all fatigued and there is a possibility that we didn't hear what we thought we heard. It would have been helpful in this situation if the controller would restate the altitude clearance and possibly the reason for the delayed visual clearance. Perhaps the wording could have been as follows: flight cleared direct to the airport, enter a left downwind, maintain 5000 ft for noise abatement, or, expect descent in 10 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FREIGHTER B727 FLC CONFUSED CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS RESULTING IN AN ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION PRIOR TO OBTAINING VISUAL APCH CLRNC.

Narrative: APCH CTL SAID EITHER 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL' OR 'EXPECT THE VISUAL.' NONE OF THE CREW IS SURE OF THE CLRNC. WE WERE LEVEL AT 5000 FT MSL AND DSNDED TO 3800 FT MSL ON THE VISUAL WHEN APCH CALLED AND SAID 'YOU WERE NOT CLRED VISUAL, BUT YOU NOW ARE, CONTINUE APCH.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 316518: APCH CTLR GAVE US A HDG 010 DEGS AND DSND TO 5000 FT RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED, HDG, HDG 010 DEGS DOWN TO 5000 FT AND WE HAVE THE ARPT. A FEW MINS LATER THE CTLR GAVE US WHAT I, THE FO AND A JUMPSEATING CREW MEMBER THAT HAPPENED TO BE LISTENING TO THE RADIO HEARD, AS DIRECT TO THE ARPT, ENTER A L DOWNWIND, CLRED VISUAL APCH. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I LOOKED AT MY APCH PLATE AND CALCULATED THAT THE TFC PATTERN ALT WOULD BE 2400 FT MSL AND I NOTICED THAT THE FO WAS ALSO LOOKING AT HIS APCH PLATE. WE CALLED OUT ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, TFC PATTERN ALT 2400 FT MSL, WHICH I SET IN THE ALT ALERTER AND THE FO BEGAN DSCNT. AT APPROX 3800 FT MSL, THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND I RESPONDED WITH OUR ALT. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 5000 FT MSL FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. I STATED THAT I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD JUST CLRED US DIRECT TO THE ARPT. ON REFLECTION AND IN TALKING WITH OTHERS WHO WERE LISTENING AT THE TIME, I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR'S PHRASEOLOGY MUST HAVE BEEN: CLRED DIRECT TO THE ARPT, ENTER L DOWNWIND, EXPECT VISUAL APCH INSTEAD OF CLRED VISUAL APCH. HOWEVER, BOTH THE FO AND THE JUMPSEATING CREW MEMBER SAID THEY HEARD CLRED VISUAL APCH. HOWEVER, WE WERE AT THE END OF THE 11:30 DUTY NIGHT THAT HAD STARTED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND WE WERE ALL FATIGUED AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR WHAT WE THOUGHT WE HEARD. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN THIS SIT IF THE CTLR WOULD RESTATE THE ALT CLRNC AND POSSIBLY THE REASON FOR THE DELAYED VISUAL CLRNC. PERHAPS THE WORDING COULD HAVE BEEN AS FOLLOWS: FLT CLRED DIRECT TO THE ARPT, ENTER A L DOWNWIND, MAINTAIN 5000 FT FOR NOISE ABATEMENT, OR, EXPECT DSCNT IN 10 MI.

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.