Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 140; Flight Crew Total 13000; Flight Crew Type 9000
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Procedure
Approach cleared Air Carrier X to 9;000 FT. At seven mile ATC tells Air Carrier X report the visual approach. Air Carrier X contacted CTAF Unicom frequency. Transmitting our position from the field. Unicom replied with field conditions. Air Carrier X then switched back to Approach Control requesting lower. ATC then cleared Air Carrier X to 7;000 FT. At five miles we keyed up the lights. I requested lower; Approach Control said unable due to protected air space. What protected Airspace? I reported the field in sight expecting to hear cleared for the visual approach. Due to our close proximity and 7;000 FT altitude and mountains we continued to the field joining the glide path. I wanted to stay in my protected airspace as the Approach Control was busy with another aircraft. On our visual descent; and after calling the field; Approach Control asked our altitude. I replied we have the field descending on glide path. Approach Control replied 'maintain your altitude!' We leveled around 4;800 FT. He again said he couldn't clear us below 7;000 FT. Air Carrier X requested Approach to tell us when clear of said airspace. Approach replied one mile. So we're now 4;800 FT one mile from the end of the runway. Air Carrier X was in no position the do a stabilized approach so we executed a missed approach. Being so confused by Approach's inability to communicate he needed us to cancel our IFR clearance in order for us to descend; we canceled our IFR clearance and did a circle to land to Runway 30 at MHV.
Air Carrier on a Visual Approach to MHV was restricted by ATC at an altitude that required a go around. The restriction to clear other unknown airspace.