Narrative:

I was the captain and PF. I have flown the visibility to runway 111 from the R292 jfk into ewr about 30 times in the past. Although the visibility was reported to be 10+ mi, we were having extreme difficulty locating the airport/runway due to the position of the sun, which was low in the sky (at 12 O'clock) and it's interaction with haze in the ny area. Normally, approach clears you for the visibility once you have the runway in sight, but they will instruct you to maintain 2000' and contact tower. Tower will then issue further clearance to descend and land. Due to our nearing the airport west/O having yet spotted the runway 11, approach cleared us to 1500' and turned us over to tower, even though we were not yet in visibility contact with the airport, let alone runway 11. When we reached 1500' we were able to see the airport environment, but not the runway, and the tower controller was very busy and we couldn't get a word in edgewise. Finally, when we were less than 2 mi out (still at 1500') I spotted the runway before we were able to contact the tower controller. I elected to commence a descent for landing west/O yet having been cleared from 1500' my reason was that if I waited any longer I would not have been able to descend to land and I would have been faced with a go around over top of ewr, which was a beehive of aircraft using the other runways while I was not in radio contact with anyone at the airport. Although I was technically in violation, I stand behind my decision to elect to descend under the circumstances. Visibility approachs to runway 11 at ewr in the morning with the sun in that position are not a good idea, regardless of the reported visibility. Also, I disagree with the practice of clearing an aircraft for a visibility approach (whether or not the airport is in sight), but telling it to not descend below a certain altitude and then turning the aircraft over to a tower controller who is so busy, you can't get through to him west/O being stepped all over. This creates a situation where one finds himself at 2000' over the runway threshold when he's cleared to land (finally)!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT ON VISUAL APCH TO EWR.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND PF. I HAVE FLOWN THE VIS TO RWY 111 FROM THE R292 JFK INTO EWR ABOUT 30 TIMES IN THE PAST. ALTHOUGH THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED TO BE 10+ MI, WE WERE HAVING EXTREME DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE ARPT/RWY DUE TO THE POS OF THE SUN, WHICH WAS LOW IN THE SKY (AT 12 O'CLOCK) AND IT'S INTERACTION WITH HAZE IN THE NY AREA. NORMALLY, APCH CLRS YOU FOR THE VIS ONCE YOU HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT, BUT THEY WILL INSTRUCT YOU TO MAINTAIN 2000' AND CONTACT TWR. TWR WILL THEN ISSUE FURTHER CLRNC TO DSND AND LAND. DUE TO OUR NEARING THE ARPT W/O HAVING YET SPOTTED THE RWY 11, APCH CLRED US TO 1500' AND TURNED US OVER TO TWR, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT YET IN VIS CONTACT WITH THE ARPT, LET ALONE RWY 11. WHEN WE REACHED 1500' WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, BUT NOT THE RWY, AND THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND WE COULDN'T GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE. FINALLY, WHEN WE WERE LESS THAN 2 MI OUT (STILL AT 1500') I SPOTTED THE RWY BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR CTLR. I ELECTED TO COMMENCE A DSNT FOR LNDG W/O YET HAVING BEEN CLRED FROM 1500' MY REASON WAS THAT IF I WAITED ANY LONGER I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DSND TO LAND AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN FACED WITH A GAR OVER TOP OF EWR, WHICH WAS A BEEHIVE OF ACFT USING THE OTHER RWYS WHILE I WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ANYONE AT THE ARPT. ALTHOUGH I WAS TECHNICALLY IN VIOLATION, I STAND BEHIND MY DECISION TO ELECT TO DSND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. VIS APCHS TO RWY 11 AT EWR IN THE MORNING WITH THE SUN IN THAT POS ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA, REGARDLESS OF THE RPTED VISIBILITY. ALSO, I DISAGREE WITH THE PRACTICE OF CLRING AN ACFT FOR A VIS APCH (WHETHER OR NOT THE ARPT IS IN SIGHT), BUT TELLING IT TO NOT DSND BELOW A CERTAIN ALT AND THEN TURNING THE ACFT OVER TO A TWR CTLR WHO IS SO BUSY, YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH TO HIM W/O BEING STEPPED ALL OVER. THIS CREATES A SITUATION WHERE ONE FINDS HIMSELF AT 2000' OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD WHEN HE'S CLRED TO LAND (FINALLY)!

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.