Narrative:

Approaching tri airport at night, center kept us high (11000 ft MSL) and we had to prompt them for a handoff to tri approach. At this stage, we were about 10 NM from the airport. Tri approach gave us a vector towards the OM from our position, which was basically abeam the airport, and cleared us down to 3700 ft MSL. Approach asked if we had the airport (tri) in sight and we replied that we did. Although we were really high and now only 3 NM from the approach end of runway 23, a busy but uneventful approach and landing was made at tri. It was only afterwards that we wondered if we had actually been cleared for the visual approach to runway 23. I believe that we were, but it got so busy with a high rate of descent, close-in turn, nighttime, that I cannot say for sure. In the future, I will avoid the trap of being lured into close-in approachs and will take my time with additional vectors.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DESTABILIZED APCH ENSUES WHEN ATC HOLDS 'EM HIGH NEAR TRI, TN.

Narrative: APCHING TRI ARPT AT NIGHT, CTR KEPT US HIGH (11000 FT MSL) AND WE HAD TO PROMPT THEM FOR A HDOF TO TRI APCH. AT THIS STAGE, WE WERE ABOUT 10 NM FROM THE ARPT. TRI APCH GAVE US A VECTOR TOWARDS THE OM FROM OUR POS, WHICH WAS BASICALLY ABEAM THE ARPT, AND CLRED US DOWN TO 3700 FT MSL. APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT (TRI) IN SIGHT AND WE REPLIED THAT WE DID. ALTHOUGH WE WERE REALLY HIGH AND NOW ONLY 3 NM FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 23, A BUSY BUT UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE AT TRI. IT WAS ONLY AFTERWARDS THAT WE WONDERED IF WE HAD ACTUALLY BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23. I BELIEVE THAT WE WERE, BUT IT GOT SO BUSY WITH A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT, CLOSE-IN TURN, NIGHTTIME, THAT I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL AVOID THE TRAP OF BEING LURED INTO CLOSE-IN APCHS AND WILL TAKE MY TIME WITH ADDITIONAL VECTORS.

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.