Narrative:

We were given an arrival into msp from the northwest, which we complied with fully. ATC began vectoring us along with giving us various speed assignments, which we also complied with. About 18 DME out, msp approach told us to cross 12 DME to the northwest at or above 4000 ft. I maintained an altitude well above this and intended to ask if we were also cleared for a visual approach except for the crossing restr. We had already told approach we had the airport in sight and had also reported sighting the traffic for the parallel runway. At about 8 DME we were still at 4500 ft when approach told us to contact the tower. My copilot read this back. I then asked him to re-contact approach to confirm we were cleared for a visual. I did not understand part of his (approach's) previous transmission, which may have been our visual approach clearance. Unfortunately, the approach controller was talking continuously, again, and we were unable to re-establish contact quickly so we switched to tower. We also asked tower to confirm our visual clearance, but we only received a clearance to land on runway 12L, which we did uneventfully. I am pretty sure approach expected us to do a visual even though we both could not remember getting a visual approach clearance. Also, visual approachs were the only approachs being conducted at that time, due to excellent WX. This would have been simple to clarify if we could have made radio contact with approach quickly. Unfortunately, we did not have much time due to our close proximity to the airport when we were turned over to tower. In the future, we will be more careful to confirm approach clearance on our last transmission with approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ35 CREW INBOUND TO MSP AND AFTER CHANGING TO TWR ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THEY HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. THEY WERE CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN AN ARR INTO MSP FROM THE NW, WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH FULLY. ATC BEGAN VECTORING US ALONG WITH GIVING US VARIOUS SPD ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH WE ALSO COMPLIED WITH. ABOUT 18 DME OUT, MSP APCH TOLD US TO CROSS 12 DME TO THE NW AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT. I MAINTAINED AN ALT WELL ABOVE THIS AND INTENDED TO ASK IF WE WERE ALSO CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH EXCEPT FOR THE XING RESTR. WE HAD ALREADY TOLD APCH WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND HAD ALSO RPTED SIGHTING THE TFC FOR THE PARALLEL RWY. AT ABOUT 8 DME WE WERE STILL AT 4500 FT WHEN APCH TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR. MY COPLT READ THIS BACK. I THEN ASKED HIM TO RE-CONTACT APCH TO CONFIRM WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND PART OF HIS (APCH'S) PREVIOUS XMISSION, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN OUR VISUAL APCH CLRNC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE APCH CTLR WAS TALKING CONTINUOUSLY, AGAIN, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT QUICKLY SO WE SWITCHED TO TWR. WE ALSO ASKED TWR TO CONFIRM OUR VISUAL CLRNC, BUT WE ONLY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 12L, WHICH WE DID UNEVENTFULLY. I AM PRETTY SURE APCH EXPECTED US TO DO A VISUAL EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH COULD NOT REMEMBER GETTING A VISUAL APCH CLRNC. ALSO, VISUAL APCHS WERE THE ONLY APCHS BEING CONDUCTED AT THAT TIME, DUE TO EXCELLENT WX. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN SIMPLE TO CLARIFY IF WE COULD HAVE MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH QUICKLY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME DUE TO OUR CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO TWR. IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL BE MORE CAREFUL TO CONFIRM APCH CLRNC ON OUR LAST XMISSION WITH APCH.

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.