Narrative:

Airline flight abc in contact with tyler, tx, approach control at 3000 ft. Cleared 'to tyler LOM, report procedure turn inbound, for ILS runway 13.' abc goes direct to tyler LOM, turns outbound 309 degrees, starts timing, and begins descent to 2000 ft as published. On inbound turn and joining localizer, reports 'abc, procedure turn inbound.' approach responds, 'roger, maintain 2500 ft until established on the localizer, cleared ILS runway 13 at tyler.' since abc was already on the localizer at 2000 ft and other aircraft were in the area, I climbed to 2500 ft thinking it was possibly a traffic avoidance situation, recaptured GS and executed approach. Normal landing, slightly long. Tyr approach should issue specific altitudes if those required are different from published. Approach and procedure turn were flown as published, with no restr issued. Approach's 2500 ft altitude call generated significant confusion in cockpit. Supplemental information from acn 318526: better communication on both sides could have cleared this situation up. The controller could have been more specific on these directions. I also found it odd that he didn't seem to realize that when you report procedure turn inbound, you are established inbound on the localizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT CLRED FOR PROC TURN, DSNDS TO PUBLISHED ALT. CTLR EXPECTS HIM TO REMAIN AT LAST ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: AIRLINE FLT ABC IN CONTACT WITH TYLER, TX, APCH CTL AT 3000 FT. CLRED 'TO TYLER LOM, RPT PROC TURN INBOUND, FOR ILS RWY 13.' ABC GOES DIRECT TO TYLER LOM, TURNS OUTBOUND 309 DEGS, STARTS TIMING, AND BEGINS DSCNT TO 2000 FT AS PUBLISHED. ON INBOUND TURN AND JOINING LOC, RPTS 'ABC, PROC TURN INBOUND.' APCH RESPONDS, 'ROGER, MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, CLRED ILS RWY 13 AT TYLER.' SINCE ABC WAS ALREADY ON THE LOC AT 2000 FT AND OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA, I CLBED TO 2500 FT THINKING IT WAS POSSIBLY A TFC AVOIDANCE SIT, RECAPTURED GS AND EXECUTED APCH. NORMAL LNDG, SLIGHTLY LONG. TYR APCH SHOULD ISSUE SPECIFIC ALTS IF THOSE REQUIRED ARE DIFFERENT FROM PUBLISHED. APCH AND PROC TURN WERE FLOWN AS PUBLISHED, WITH NO RESTR ISSUED. APCH'S 2500 FT ALT CALL GENERATED SIGNIFICANT CONFUSION IN COCKPIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 318526: BETTER COM ON BOTH SIDES COULD HAVE CLRED THIS SIT UP. THE CTLR COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC ON THESE DIRECTIONS. I ALSO FOUND IT ODD THAT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU RPT PROC TURN INBOUND, YOU ARE ESTABLISHED INBOUND ON THE LOC.

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.