DC9 crew was required to contact tower on their own volition.

Attributes
ACN	440770
Time
Date	199906
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bhm.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 23
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	440770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon contacting bhm approach control we were to descend to 2500 ft on 220 degree heading and report the airport in sight. After a 30 second search we had the airport in sight but approach was now talking to another VFR aircraft and continued this conversation for about 30 seconds. At this time, we were approximately 1 DOT high on the GS, fully configured, and at minimum approach speed, and level at 2500 ft. We attempted several times to notify approach that we had the airport in sight but suspect our xmissions were blocked by the other aircraft's conversation with bhm control. The captain tuned-up tower and reported the runway in sight. The tower cleared us to land on runway 23 which we did without further incident. Had tower not cleared us to land when he did, we would have had to make a missed approach. As we were taxiing in tower said that approach had not cleared us for the approach and to contact them by phone. Corrective actions: approach control should try to keep long-winded conversations to a minimum while other aircraft are trying to report the field in sight. He could have totally eliminated this situation by just clearing us for the ILS runway 23 instead of awaiting our visual contact with the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO CONTACT TWR ON THEIR OWN VOLITION.

Narrative: UPON CONTACTING BHM APCH CTL WE WERE TO DSND TO 2500 FT ON 220 DEG HDG AND RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AFTER A 30 SECOND SEARCH WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT APCH WAS NOW TALKING TO ANOTHER VFR ACFT AND CONTINUED THIS CONVERSATION FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE APPROX 1 DOT HIGH ON THE GS, FULLY CONFIGURED, AND AT MINIMUM APCH SPD, AND LEVEL AT 2500 FT. WE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO NOTIFY APCH THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT SUSPECT OUR XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED BY THE OTHER ACFT'S CONVERSATION WITH BHM CTL. THE CAPT TUNED-UP TWR AND RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 23 WHICH WE DID WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. HAD TWR NOT CLRED US TO LAND WHEN HE DID, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. AS WE WERE TAXIING IN TWR SAID THAT APCH HAD NOT CLRED US FOR THE APCH AND TO CONTACT THEM BY PHONE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: APCH CTL SHOULD TRY TO KEEP LONG-WINDED CONVERSATIONS TO A MINIMUM WHILE OTHER ACFT ARE TRYING TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. HE COULD HAVE TOTALLY ELIMINATED THIS SIT BY JUST CLRING US FOR THE ILS RWY 23 INSTEAD OF AWAITING OUR VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD.

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.