Narrative:

The approach controller asked us if we had lax in sight; and we replied affirmative. He then switched us to socal final. We checked in with socal final and were immediately cleared for the visual approach to 24R. We read back the clearance; turned 10 degrees right; and began a descent to the normal 2500 foot alt for the lax visual. Shortly the controller asked our heading and we responded 150. He said turn left 130. He then asked our altitude. We stated descending through 4500. He asked what our assigned altitude was. We responded that we had been cleared for the visual approach. His response was 'no; you were not cleared for the visual approach; you were told to expect it. Maintain 4000 and turn left to 100.' we responded leveling 4000; heading 100; and we understood we had been cleared for the visual approach and that was the clearance we had read back to him. He then vectored us to final and again cleared us for the visual approach 24R. Although there was not much traffic; I distinctly heard two different controller voices on socal final. So maybe there was some miscommunication in TRACON. And maybe the controller meant to say expect; but actually said cleared; I've been guilty of that. But I guess the bottom line is we heard the clearance and read it back and received no correction. There was no traffic conflict throughout this incident. I think the controller(s) just made a mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Q400 flight crew suffered a breakdown in communications with approach control regarding whether they had been 'cleared for' or were 'to expect' a visual approach to LAX.

Narrative: The Approach Controller asked us if we had LAX in sight; and we replied affirmative. He then switched us to SOCAL final. We checked in with SOCAL final and were immediately cleared for the visual approach to 24R. We read back the clearance; turned 10 degrees right; and began a descent to the normal 2500 foot alt for the LAX visual. Shortly the controller asked our heading and we responded 150. He said turn left 130. He then asked our altitude. We stated descending through 4500. He asked what our assigned altitude was. We responded that we had been cleared for the visual approach. His response was 'no; you were not cleared for the visual approach; you were told to expect it. Maintain 4000 and turn left to 100.' we responded leveling 4000; heading 100; and we understood we had been cleared for the visual approach and that was the clearance we had read back to him. He then vectored us to final and again cleared us for the visual approach 24R. Although there was not much traffic; I distinctly heard two different controller voices on SOCAL final. So maybe there was some miscommunication in TRACON. And maybe the controller meant to say expect; but actually said cleared; I've been guilty of that. But I guess the bottom line is we heard the clearance and read it back and received no correction. There was no traffic conflict throughout this incident. I think the controller(s) just made a mistake.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.