Narrative:

Boston approach control told us to expect runway 22L for landing to hold short of runway 27. We tuned and identified runway 22L ILS and compass locator frequencys. We were cleared to descend to 5000' and upon reaching 5000' the first officer informed me he had the airport insight. At this point we were approximately 5 NM west of bos. I told the first officer to report the airport insight to ATC. We were then cleared for a visibility approach to runway 22L. By this time we were on a downwind approximately 5 NM northwest of the airport at 5000'. I began my descent by reducing the power levers to flight idle. Up until this point I had not seen the airport as it was on the first officer's side of the aircraft. Upon rolling out of the turn from downwind to base I saw that we were too high to make a safe approach to runway 22L. I told the first officer to inform ATC that I planned to fly through the final approach course and execute a left 270 degree turn to lose altitude and rejoin the final approach course. The first officer contacted the controller about the time I was flying through the runway 22L localizer and informed him of our intentions. At this point I had not yet started the left 270 degree turn. The controller cleared us to maneuver as requested but was clearly angered. He told us to 'not do something like that west/O first asking.' I began the left 270 degree turn while the first officer was conversing with the controller. Upon rolling out on final we were handed off to bos tower and landed uneventfully. After we parked the aircraft at the gate ground control issued us a telephone number and suggested we call it. I went to our company office and called the number. The person who answered idented himself as the boston TRACON supervisor. After taking my name he asked me to explain what I had done. I told him that I was too high and needed to maneuver to lose altitude. The supervisor explained the problem with executing the turn was that it was unexpected and that inbound traffic to the same runway. I expressed my concern for the situation and apologized for any misunderstanding. The controller ended by saying to be more careful in the future. To my knowledge there were no traffic conflicts or safety hazards. I think the controller thought that we were maneuvering west/O first letting him know about it. This was definitely not our intent. The fact that we told him what we wanted to do instead of him asking about it after we did it should have made that fact obvious. Clearly the reason this problem arose was that I misjudged my position from the airport and turned towards the runway too soon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER PLT DEVIATES WITH A 270 DEGREE TURN TO LOSE ALT AS HE INTERCEPTS APCH COURSE.

Narrative: BOSTON APCH CTL TOLD US TO EXPECT RWY 22L FOR LNDG TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. WE TUNED AND IDENTIFIED RWY 22L ILS AND COMPASS LOCATOR FREQS. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 5000' AND UPON REACHING 5000' THE F/O INFORMED ME HE HAD THE ARPT INSIGHT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE APPROX 5 NM W OF BOS. I TOLD THE F/O TO RPT THE ARPT INSIGHT TO ATC. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 22L. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON A DOWNWIND APPROX 5 NM NW OF THE ARPT AT 5000'. I BEGAN MY DSNT BY REDUCING THE PWR LEVERS TO FLT IDLE. UP UNTIL THIS POINT I HAD NOT SEEN THE ARPT AS IT WAS ON THE F/O'S SIDE OF THE ACFT. UPON ROLLING OUT OF THE TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE I SAW THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE A SAFE APCH TO RWY 22L. I TOLD THE F/O TO INFORM ATC THAT I PLANNED TO FLY THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND EXECUTE A L 270 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT AND REJOIN THE FINAL APCH COURSE. THE F/O CONTACTED THE CTLR ABOUT THE TIME I WAS FLYING THROUGH THE RWY 22L LOC AND INFORMED HIM OF OUR INTENTIONS. AT THIS POINT I HAD NOT YET STARTED THE L 270 DEG TURN. THE CTLR CLRED US TO MANEUVER AS REQUESTED BUT WAS CLRLY ANGERED. HE TOLD US TO 'NOT DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT W/O FIRST ASKING.' I BEGAN THE L 270 DEG TURN WHILE THE F/O WAS CONVERSING WITH THE CTLR. UPON ROLLING OUT ON FINAL WE WERE HANDED OFF TO BOS TWR AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER WE PARKED THE ACFT AT THE GATE GND CTL ISSUED US A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND SUGGESTED WE CALL IT. I WENT TO OUR COMPANY OFFICE AND CALLED THE NUMBER. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE BOSTON TRACON SUPVR. AFTER TAKING MY NAME HE ASKED ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT I HAD DONE. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS TOO HIGH AND NEEDED TO MANEUVER TO LOSE ALT. THE SUPVR EXPLAINED THE PROB WITH EXECUTING THE TURN WAS THAT IT WAS UNEXPECTED AND THAT INBND TFC TO THE SAME RWY. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR THE SITUATION AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDING. THE CTLR ENDED BY SAYING TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS OR SAFETY HAZARDS. I THINK THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT WE WERE MANEUVERING W/O FIRST LETTING HIM KNOW ABOUT IT. THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT OUR INTENT. THE FACT THAT WE TOLD HIM WHAT WE WANTED TO DO INSTEAD OF HIM ASKING ABOUT IT AFTER WE DID IT SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT FACT OBVIOUS. CLRLY THE REASON THIS PROB AROSE WAS THAT I MISJUDGED MY POS FROM THE ARPT AND TURNED TOWARDS THE RWY TOO SOON.

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.