Narrative:

We were given a turn to join runway 9R behind traffic and advise traffic in sight. The final controller was very busy with other planes. We just came out of 20 mins of holding. We got our traffic in sight, but to tell the controller would mean stepping on others. Now on localizer, traffic in sight, we went ahead and intercepted the GS when it came in. We are at 3500 ft. This doesn't leave me with much time to do anything if I don't intercept. Now the controller said for us to verify altitude. We said 3300 ft on GS. The controller said 'do you have your traffic in sight.' we said yes we do. The controller said 'cleared for visual runway 9R. Contact tower 119.1.' so we did. This and nothing else was said. I know what we did was grey, but I thought I was helping the controller by not stepping on everyone else to tell him we had traffic in sight next time, I will not take things so lightly. That is what I get for trusting the altitude controllers. I am based in atl and we deal with them 10-12 times per day, so we get the 'trust' feeling too often.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ CONGESTION CREATED A CONDITION FOR AN ATR72 PIC ON INITIATING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 9R BASED UPON SIGHTING TFC AHEAD FOR VISUAL SPACING, BUT WITHOUT A CLRNC TO DO SO FROM APCH CTLR AT ATL, GA.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO JOIN RWY 9R BEHIND TFC AND ADVISE TFC IN SIGHT. THE FINAL CTLR WAS VERY BUSY WITH OTHER PLANES. WE JUST CAME OUT OF 20 MINS OF HOLDING. WE GOT OUR TFC IN SIGHT, BUT TO TELL THE CTLR WOULD MEAN STEPPING ON OTHERS. NOW ON LOC, TFC IN SIGHT, WE WENT AHEAD AND INTERCEPTED THE GS WHEN IT CAME IN. WE ARE AT 3500 FT. THIS DOESN'T LEAVE ME WITH MUCH TIME TO DO ANYTHING IF I DON'T INTERCEPT. NOW THE CTLR SAID FOR US TO VERIFY ALT. WE SAID 3300 FT ON GS. THE CTLR SAID 'DO YOU HAVE YOUR TFC IN SIGHT.' WE SAID YES WE DO. THE CTLR SAID 'CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 9R. CONTACT TWR 119.1.' SO WE DID. THIS AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. I KNOW WHAT WE DID WAS GREY, BUT I THOUGHT I WAS HELPING THE CTLR BY NOT STEPPING ON EVERYONE ELSE TO TELL HIM WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT NEXT TIME, I WILL NOT TAKE THINGS SO LIGHTLY. THAT IS WHAT I GET FOR TRUSTING THE ALT CTLRS. I AM BASED IN ATL AND WE DEAL WITH THEM 10-12 TIMES PER DAY, SO WE GET THE 'TRUST' FEELING TOO OFTEN.

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.