B737 landing bda is questioned by the tower controller regarding pattern entry.

Attributes
ACN	628689
Time
Date	200408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : txkf.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Rain Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 15000
ASRS Report	628689
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	628690
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

During descent into bda we noticed thunderstorms to the north and east of runway 30 final approach. We were still under the control of ZNY when we were cleared to descend to 1500 ft MSL. We asked for a left downwind from ZNY and he cleared us for a visual. But we felt he really did not understand, so we repeated our request several times. ZNY did not respond and we were now at 1500 ft about 5 mi from the airport. I told the first officer to switch to tower now. We contacted the bda tower and told them of our intentions. As we suspected new york had not passed along our request. Tower told us that we were in violation of local procedures and allowed us to continue. We landed without further incident. I called the tower when we got on the ground via landline and explained what had happened. The tower supervisor was very interested in my explanation and seemed satisfied that we did not fly over the field intentionally. She told me that for WX they do waive local restrs for WX and if we had been xferred by ZNY in a timely manner, there would not have been an incident. ZNY dropped the ball because of no handoff to tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 LNDG BDA IS QUESTIONED BY THE TWR CTLR REGARDING PATTERN ENTRY.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO BDA WE NOTICED TSTMS TO THE N AND E OF RWY 30 FINAL APCH. WE WERE STILL UNDER THE CTL OF ZNY WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 1500 FT MSL. WE ASKED FOR A L DOWNWIND FROM ZNY AND HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL. BUT WE FELT HE REALLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND, SO WE REPEATED OUR REQUEST SEVERAL TIMES. ZNY DID NOT RESPOND AND WE WERE NOW AT 1500 FT ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. I TOLD THE FO TO SWITCH TO TWR NOW. WE CONTACTED THE BDA TWR AND TOLD THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS. AS WE SUSPECTED NEW YORK HAD NOT PASSED ALONG OUR REQUEST. TWR TOLD US THAT WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF LCL PROCS AND ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I CALLED THE TWR WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND VIA LANDLINE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE TWR SUPVR WAS VERY INTERESTED IN MY EXPLANATION AND SEEMED SATISFIED THAT WE DID NOT FLY OVER THE FIELD INTENTIONALLY. SHE TOLD ME THAT FOR WX THEY DO WAIVE LCL RESTRS FOR WX AND IF WE HAD BEEN XFERRED BY ZNY IN A TIMELY MANNER, THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN INCIDENT. ZNY DROPPED THE BALL BECAUSE OF NO HDOF TO TWR.

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.