Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
After checking in with approach we were given a runway assignment of runway 35. After the airplane was configured for 35 we received a runway change to 36 due to traffic for 35. Shortly after we were cleared for a visual approach. My flying pilot began a turn into a down wind to give herself a little space before a base turn to ensure a stabilized approach. The controller then notified us that we would need us to proceed straight to the numbers to avoid a loss of separation with an inbound IFR [multiengine aircraft] for runway 35. We were surprised that the Controller failed to provide us with any situational awareness of other traffic before clearing us for a visual and now needed us to either 'go-around' or proceed direct to the numbers. I believe the controller did a rather poor job providing us with either information or the spacing required to execute a proper visual approach. We were able to continue and execute a stabilized approach.I spoke to the Controller on the phone after landing and voiced my concern. He was very professional and receptive.
We asked the Controller while airborne and again in a phone call after landing why he would clear us for a visual (allowing us to plan our own flight path based on altitude and speeds) and then start telling us very specific instructions to follow with the threat of going around. The only other aircraft in the airspace was a [multiengine aircraft] on a practice instrument approach to runway 35. He replied that the [multiengine aircraft] was IFR and he has to maintain spacing until we were on final which I understand. I just don't see why he didn't alert us to the other traffic and allow us to acquire them visually and plan an appropriate descent to the airfield based on our SOP's speed and altitude. The Controller replied that he is a pilot so he knows. I suspect he knows that a small aircraft could easily do what he was asking and has no clue that he was causing us time compression and nearly caused us to be too high because we had to cut a corner to follow his directions.
Fractional business jet flight crew reported ATC increased their workload on a visual approach to LNK because of possible conflict with an aircraft on a practice IFR approach.