Narrative:

Cleared to intercept localizer runway 01R and descend to 5000 ft 30 mi out. After intercept and 20 mi out cleared to 2000 ft maintain 220 KTS. About 17 mi out and passing 5500 ft told us to maintain 5000 ft for conflicting traffic. Runway in sight straight ahead VMC. RA said reduce descent, monitor vertical speed, clear of conflict as we leveled 5000 ft. Now 12- 14 mi out at 5000 ft, and approach said that he can give us the left side to give us more room for descent. I pushed the nose over and said, 'we can still make the right side.' controller: 'ok.' as we were passing 4600 ft I said 'if you had not leveled us we would have been within 100 ft of the traffic.' the controller said 'aren't you level at 5000 ft.' I said 'you cleared us for the approach.' controller: 'no I did not.' first officer: 'well then are we cleared for the approach.' controller, 'yes you are cleared for visual runway 01R.' if we had not descended when we did we would have to have gone around. When I said we could still make the right side we were on the very upper edge of the approach envelope. When he acknowledged, I took it to mean we were cleared for the approach. (We had already received clear of conflict.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON AND RPTR DISCUSSION ABOUT MAKING THE APCH STRAIGHT IN AFTER PASSING TFC LED RPTR TO COMMENCE APCH WHEN HE SAW THE TFC PASS. THE SPACING HAD NOT YET BEEN ACHIEVED FOR THE CTLR TO 'CLR' THE RPTR FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: CLRED TO INTERCEPT LOC RWY 01R AND DSND TO 5000 FT 30 MI OUT. AFTER INTERCEPT AND 20 MI OUT CLRED TO 2000 FT MAINTAIN 220 KTS. ABOUT 17 MI OUT AND PASSING 5500 FT TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT FOR CONFLICTING TFC. RWY IN SIGHT STRAIGHT AHEAD VMC. RA SAID REDUCE DSCNT, MONITOR VERT SPD, CLR OF CONFLICT AS WE LEVELED 5000 FT. NOW 12- 14 MI OUT AT 5000 FT, AND APCH SAID THAT HE CAN GIVE US THE L SIDE TO GIVE US MORE ROOM FOR DSCNT. I PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND SAID, 'WE CAN STILL MAKE THE R SIDE.' CTLR: 'OK.' AS WE WERE PASSING 4600 FT I SAID 'IF YOU HAD NOT LEVELED US WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN 100 FT OF THE TFC.' THE CTLR SAID 'AREN'T YOU LEVEL AT 5000 FT.' I SAID 'YOU CLRED US FOR THE APCH.' CTLR: 'NO I DID NOT.' FO: 'WELL THEN ARE WE CLRED FOR THE APCH.' CTLR, 'YES YOU ARE CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 01R.' IF WE HAD NOT DSNDED WHEN WE DID WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE GONE AROUND. WHEN I SAID WE COULD STILL MAKE THE R SIDE WE WERE ON THE VERY UPPER EDGE OF THE APCH ENVELOPE. WHEN HE ACKNOWLEDGED, I TOOK IT TO MEAN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. (WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED CLR OF CONFLICT.)

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.