Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
While on arrival; [we] had planned and briefed the RNAV GPS Runway 23. Weather was VMC with scattered clouds well above traffic pattern altitude. While being vectored for the approach and on a right downwind for the airport; I told Approach Control we had the airport in sight. The Controller cleared us for the visual approach and asked us to enter right traffic pattern at North Central Airport (SFZ) due to the arrival corridor for Providence (PVD). We were already established on the right downwind near the departure end of Runway 23 while being vectored. When the Controller cleared us for the visual; I switched over to the number two radio to make a traffic call on the UNICOM frequency announcing our position. At the same time the Captain asked me to cancel VFR. I didn't hear him since I was talking on the other radio. He contacted Approach and cancelled IFR. We continued in the right traffic pattern and landed normally. After landing with our passengers on their way already; the Captain and I discussed whether the Controller had the authority to request the right traffic pattern at the uncontrolled airport outside of their airspace and wondered if we should have crossed over the airport to enter the left traffic pattern which is standard for North Central State (SFZ) airport. There was no conflicting traffic at North Central Airport (SFZ) at any time during approach; landing; or taxi in. We should have stayed on the RNAV 23 approach which we had planned for and were being vectored for. There could have been better communication between the crew about canceling our IFR and waiting until after we had landed. Also; since we cancelled IFR; we should have complied with the airport standard traffic pattern.
[We were] being vectored for RNAV GPS RWY 23 at SFZ. Radar vector was for right downwind. I had briefed that if we had good VFR and cancel; we would cross over the airport and join left downwind for Runway 23. We called the airport in sight at about 3000 ft. and were given a visual approach. The Controller said to fly a right pattern. My SIC (Second in Command) momentarily made some traffic reports on the other radio as we began to descend. I called ATC and canceled IFR and asked to verify that he needed a right pattern. ATC replied that he needed a right pattern for inbound traffic on the other side of the airport or something to that effect. I momentarily contemplated going over the airport and entering left traffic but decided that since my last communication and expectation from ATC was right traffic that it would be safer to comply with the right pattern and not cause a potential traffic conflict. I knew the Class C for PDV is very close to the southeast side of the airport. After the flight I was just not sure if ATC had the authority to assign right traffic to an uncontrolled airport of if I should have refused to fly the right pattern once I was technically VFR.
Corporate aircraft flight crew reported confusion as to whether ATC had the authority to change the traffic pattern at an uncontrolled airport.