Narrative:

Passenger revenue flight from sea to sjc. Late departure due to maintenance. This caused a laate arrival into sjc, past normal curfew time. Company coordination with airport management, and late arrival was approved. During descent, ATIS information included normal information and included tur closure for the evening. Having never operated into a field with a closed tower, we received what we thought was all appropriate information for this situation. We missed one pertaining to not concluding charted visual approach without an operational control tower. Approach control vectored us to a 3 mile offset downwind and cleared us for the 'fairgnd visual approach. During our maneuvering to final, we both monitored approach control and making appropriate calls on tower frequencys. Approach had us under radar contact until we landed and taxied clear of runway. I later researched this maneuver and discovered that charted visual flight procedures are not authority/authorized with a closed control tower. Corrective action: for air crews, who never or very seldom operate into an airfield with a closed control tower, for the evening, a source document referencing all sources of information pertaining to a particular maneuver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD82 IS AUTH BY ARPT MGMNT TO LAND SJC AFTER CURFEW HRS AND TWR CLOSURE. ATC INCORRECTLY ISSUED THE FLT A CHARTED VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: PAX REVENUE FLT FROM SEA TO SJC. LATE DEP DUE TO MAINT. THIS CAUSED A LAATE ARR INTO SJC, PAST NORMAL CURFEW TIME. COMPANY COORD WITH ARPT MGMNT, AND LATE ARR WAS APPROVED. DURING DSCNT, ATIS INFO INCLUDED NORMAL INFO AND INCLUDED TUR CLOSURE FOR THE EVENING. HAVING NEVER OPERATED INTO A FIELD WITH A CLOSED TWR, WE RECEIVED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ALL APPROPRIATE INFO FOR THIS SIT. WE MISSED ONE PERTAINING TO NOT CONCLUDING CHARTED VISUAL APCH WITHOUT AN OPERATIONAL CTL TWR. APCH CTL VECTORED US TO A 3 MILE OFFSET DOWNWIND AND CLRED US FOR THE 'FAIRGND VISUAL APCH. DURING OUR MANEUVERING TO FINAL, WE BOTH MONITORED APCH CTL AND MAKING APPROPRIATE CALLS ON TWR FREQS. APCH HAD US UNDER RADAR CONTACT UNTIL WE LANDED AND TAXIED CLR OF RWY. I LATER RESEARCHED THIS MANEUVER AND DISCOVERED THAT CHARTED VISUAL FLT PROCS ARE NOT AUTH WITH A CLOSED CTL TWR. CORRECTIVE ACTION: FOR AIR CREWS, WHO NEVER OR VERY SELDOM OPERATE INTO AN AIRFIELD WITH A CLOSED CTL TWR, FOR THE EVENING, A SOURCE DOCUMENT REFING ALL SOURCES OF INFO PERTAINING TO A PARTICULAR MANEUVER.

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.