Narrative:

While making a visual approach to florence, sc, a series of events caused me to make an altitude deviation and a possible near miss. The event started with the ATIS report calling for visuals to runway 19. Approaching from the west with a 40 KT tailwind we are usually not handed off to flo approach from shaw approach until 20-25 mi from flo. Upon checking on with flo we were told to expect a straight in visual to runway 9. To the best of my recollection the following xmissions were made. Flo approach advised us to 'descend to 5000 ft, traffic 12 O'clock and 10 mi 2200 ft northbound.' a few seconds later we were cleared to 3200 ft and intercept the localizer. Shortly after that we hear a cessna cardinal being cleared for a practice approach to runway 9. At this time we are 10-12 mi from the airport with a 290 KT GS, frantically trying to find this traffic and slow. Flo approach hadn't told us we were following traffic, had not advised us to slow, didn't tell the cessna to keep the speed up, at the same time the cessna volunteered to be turned off the approach. We finally got slowed to our minimum approach speed of 125 KIAS and I mistakenly started down on the GS. The cessna traffic was turned off the approach and we landed without incident. We never saw the traffic because we were above looking down on a background of city lights. We also never received a TCASII alert. The whole incident could have been avoided if ATC would have advised that we were following traffic. Contributing factors were long day, running behind schedule and poor CRM on my part. I should have continued to pay attention to my instruments and had the first officer looking for traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER PIC ADMITS TO IMPROPER APCH PROCS WHILE ARRIVING AT FLO, SC, AT NIGHT. SPD WAS TOO HIGH, HE LEFT HIS ASSIGNED ALT TO ESTABLISH THE LOC GS AND SUFFERED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THE RPTR CITES ATIS INFO, FLO APCH CTL AND OTHER TFC AS FACTORS.

Narrative: WHILE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO FLORENCE, SC, A SERIES OF EVENTS CAUSED ME TO MAKE AN ALTDEV AND A POSSIBLE NEAR MISS. THE EVENT STARTED WITH THE ATIS RPT CALLING FOR VISUALS TO RWY 19. APCHING FROM THE W WITH A 40 KT TAILWIND WE ARE USUALLY NOT HANDED OFF TO FLO APCH FROM SHAW APCH UNTIL 20-25 MI FROM FLO. UPON CHKING ON WITH FLO WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A STRAIGHT IN VISUAL TO RWY 9. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION THE FOLLOWING XMISSIONS WERE MADE. FLO APCH ADVISED US TO 'DSND TO 5000 FT, TFC 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI 2200 FT NBOUND.' A FEW SECONDS LATER WE WERE CLRED TO 3200 FT AND INTERCEPT THE LOC. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE HEAR A CESSNA CARDINAL BEING CLRED FOR A PRACTICE APCH TO RWY 9. AT THIS TIME WE ARE 10-12 MI FROM THE ARPT WITH A 290 KT GS, FRANTICALLY TRYING TO FIND THIS TFC AND SLOW. FLO APCH HADN'T TOLD US WE WERE FOLLOWING TFC, HAD NOT ADVISED US TO SLOW, DIDN'T TELL THE CESSNA TO KEEP THE SPD UP, AT THE SAME TIME THE CESSNA VOLUNTEERED TO BE TURNED OFF THE APCH. WE FINALLY GOT SLOWED TO OUR MINIMUM APCH SPD OF 125 KIAS AND I MISTAKENLY STARTED DOWN ON THE GS. THE CESSNA TFC WAS TURNED OFF THE APCH AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE NEVER SAW THE TFC BECAUSE WE WERE ABOVE LOOKING DOWN ON A BACKGROUND OF CITY LIGHTS. WE ALSO NEVER RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT. THE WHOLE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF ATC WOULD HAVE ADVISED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING TFC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LONG DAY, RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE AND POOR CRM ON MY PART. I SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO PAY ATTN TO MY INSTS AND HAD THE FO LOOKING FOR TFC.

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.