Narrative:

On descent into sbp, center advised 'expect visual approach runway 29.' ATIS was calling a scattered layer at 5500 ft. However, we seemed to have a solid undercast coming in from the north. Center called the airport at 12 O'clock position and 10 or 12 mi, I think. We responded with request ILS runway 11 we have a solid undercast. Center replied 'roger, track localizer inbound descend to 4000 ft.' we began descent and tuned in localizer (no DME), he then cleared us on the 'ILS runway 11 circle to land' approach and told us to contact tower. As we were in the middle of our descent checklist (calling company) etc, we did not immediately talk to sbp tower. I noticed the captain dialed in prb VOR to get a fix on our position relative to crepe. We were past it and continuing descent. As we contacted tower we broke out of the clouds, but could not find the airport at our 12 O'clock position or anywhere. Tower told us to report dobra, we said 'roger.' we still could not find the airport and did not truly know our position. We finally determined our position visually upon seeing pismo beach. We told tower we believed we were south of the airport and wanted to turn back (no radar at sbp tower). Tower responded that we were not 'in sight' and to proceed to the airport under VFR. Tower also wanted to know if we had canceled IFR with center (clearly he was as confused as we were). We told tower 'no, and we were turning back to the airport.' tower then told us that there were 2 aircraft in our vicinity but he did not know their position with respect to ours, as we were still not in visual contact with him. As we rolled out of our turn onto (approximately) a 320 degree heading to the airport tower cleared us for a visual runway 29 as well as traffic on final. Once we called traffic in sight, he cleared us to land runway 29. We landed sbp uneventfully with nothing further to report. Obviously, we should have never accepted the approach clearance without positional awareness. But we also feel center should not have issued a clearance without some positional report (ie, '6 mi from dobra cleared ILS runway 11 approach'). Had center told us a position or given us a heads up we were inside the FAF (ie, '2000 ft above GS intercept, do you require a turn?') it would have better prepared us for what to expect upon coming in visual contact with the ground. The potential for incident/accident was very high in my opinion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 CREW BECAME UNSURE OF THEIR POS MAKING AN APCH TO SBP IN IMC CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO SBP, CTR ADVISED 'EXPECT VISUAL APCH RWY 29.' ATIS WAS CALLING A SCATTERED LAYER AT 5500 FT. HOWEVER, WE SEEMED TO HAVE A SOLID UNDERCAST COMING IN FROM THE N. CTR CALLED THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 10 OR 12 MI, I THINK. WE RESPONDED WITH REQUEST ILS RWY 11 WE HAVE A SOLID UNDERCAST. CTR REPLIED 'ROGER, TRACK LOC INBOUND DSND TO 4000 FT.' WE BEGAN DSCNT AND TUNED IN LOC (NO DME), HE THEN CLRED US ON THE 'ILS RWY 11 CIRCLE TO LAND' APCH AND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. AS WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DSCNT CHKLIST (CALLING COMPANY) ETC, WE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY TALK TO SBP TWR. I NOTICED THE CAPT DIALED IN PRB VOR TO GET A FIX ON OUR POS RELATIVE TO CREPE. WE WERE PAST IT AND CONTINUING DSCNT. AS WE CONTACTED TWR WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE ARPT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS OR ANYWHERE. TWR TOLD US TO RPT DOBRA, WE SAID 'ROGER.' WE STILL COULD NOT FIND THE ARPT AND DID NOT TRULY KNOW OUR POS. WE FINALLY DETERMINED OUR POS VISUALLY UPON SEEING PISMO BEACH. WE TOLD TWR WE BELIEVED WE WERE S OF THE ARPT AND WANTED TO TURN BACK (NO RADAR AT SBP TWR). TWR RESPONDED THAT WE WERE NOT 'IN SIGHT' AND TO PROCEED TO THE ARPT UNDER VFR. TWR ALSO WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD CANCELED IFR WITH CTR (CLRLY HE WAS AS CONFUSED AS WE WERE). WE TOLD TWR 'NO, AND WE WERE TURNING BACK TO THE ARPT.' TWR THEN TOLD US THAT THERE WERE 2 ACFT IN OUR VICINITY BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THEIR POS WITH RESPECT TO OURS, AS WE WERE STILL NOT IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH HIM. AS WE ROLLED OUT OF OUR TURN ONTO (APPROX) A 320 DEG HDG TO THE ARPT TWR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL RWY 29 AS WELL AS TFC ON FINAL. ONCE WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT, HE CLRED US TO LAND RWY 29. WE LANDED SBP UNEVENTFULLY WITH NOTHING FURTHER TO RPT. OBVIOUSLY, WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED THE APCH CLRNC WITHOUT POSITIONAL AWARENESS. BUT WE ALSO FEEL CTR SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUED A CLRNC WITHOUT SOME POSITIONAL RPT (IE, '6 MI FROM DOBRA CLRED ILS RWY 11 APCH'). HAD CTR TOLD US A POS OR GIVEN US A HEADS UP WE WERE INSIDE THE FAF (IE, '2000 FT ABOVE GS INTERCEPT, DO YOU REQUIRE A TURN?') IT WOULD HAVE BETTER PREPARED US FOR WHAT TO EXPECT UPON COMING IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. THE POTENTIAL FOR INCIDENT/ACCIDENT WAS VERY HIGH IN MY OPINION.

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.