"Cleared visual approach, descend altitude 2000ft"
Hello ATC people.
I regularly fly the B737 into a regional UK airport, often if Wx & traffic conditions allow, we will often request a visual approach whilst on base or downwind leg.
Our ops manual states a visual approach will be conducted with visual separation from the terrain (by us), however ATC will still prove IFR traffic separation.
On one occasion recently, we requested and were cleared a visual approach, however we were also cleared to descend to 2000', which happened to be the MSA, in the same reply.
As far as I know, the reason for the altitude restriction wasn't due to traffic, as we weren't passed any traffic information, we didn't have any TCAS contacts on our displays and in any case, surely if there was a potential traffic conflict, the controller should have at least delayed clearing us for a visual approach and kept us under vectoring.
As we pilots become responsible for terrain separation, my question is why else would an descent clearance be placed on us once we've been cleared for a visual approach?
[I ask because the only reason we fly a visual approach if an instrument procedure exists is to expedite proceedings, so our natural inclination is 'cut it in tight' and fly the most direct track we can towards the runway as long we're stabilised by 500' AGL, that is to say on speed, on glide and on our final approach track, wings level. Having such a descent restriction kind of throws a spanner in the works...]