Narrative:

The ft myers tower was closed. Just prior to closing the controller gave us the midnight observation. We were still 20 mins from landing, when we received this observation. The ZMA controller cleared us direct to the OM. As we approached the airport our course track took us west of the airport, approximately a left downwind. The controller cleared us for an approach to the airport. We confirmed that we could proceed with a visual approach. The controller also restr us to 2500 ft until we were established on a segment of the approach. Our course track approximated a l-hand pattern but the approach plate calls for r-hand pattern. It should be noted that another aircraft was right behind us, being worked by the same controller. This situation of possible non compliance with the traffic pattern occurred because we were on vectors, coming from a direction that made a r-hand pattern impractical. The altitude restrs also meant we were not really flying a standard pattern. I think it would be helpful for the center controllers to remind pilots of a specific pattern direction when clearing pilots for an approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMA VECTORS ACR B737 FOR VISUAL APCH AT CLOSED ARPT. PIC KNOWINGLY ENTERS WRONG DIRECTION TFC PATTERN, CLAIMING ZMA DIDN'T GIVE COMPLETE CLRNC AND VECTORS.

Narrative: THE FT MYERS TWR WAS CLOSED. JUST PRIOR TO CLOSING THE CTLR GAVE US THE MIDNIGHT OBSERVATION. WE WERE STILL 20 MINS FROM LNDG, WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS OBSERVATION. THE ZMA CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO THE OM. AS WE APCHED THE ARPT OUR COURSE TRACK TOOK US W OF THE ARPT, APPROX A L DOWNWIND. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR AN APCH TO THE ARPT. WE CONFIRMED THAT WE COULD PROCEED WITH A VISUAL APCH. THE CTLR ALSO RESTR US TO 2500 FT UNTIL WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON A SEGMENT OF THE APCH. OUR COURSE TRACK APPROXIMATED A L-HAND PATTERN BUT THE APCH PLATE CALLS FOR R-HAND PATTERN. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS RIGHT BEHIND US, BEING WORKED BY THE SAME CTLR. THIS SIT OF POSSIBLE NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE TFC PATTERN OCCURRED BECAUSE WE WERE ON VECTORS, COMING FROM A DIRECTION THAT MADE A R-HAND PATTERN IMPRACTICAL. THE ALT RESTRS ALSO MEANT WE WERE NOT REALLY FLYING A STANDARD PATTERN. I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE CTR CTLRS TO REMIND PLTS OF A SPECIFIC PATTERN DIRECTION WHEN CLRING PLTS FOR AN 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.