MLG CREW WAS GIVEN WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS AN APCH CLRNC.

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ENRTE FROM MSO TO FCA WE REQUESTED THE VOR RWY 30 APCH TO FCA. THE CTLR REPLIED BACK THAT ACFT HAD BEEN GETTING THE ARPT VISUAL AT 9000 FT. WE REPLIED BACK THAT; OKAY; WE'D TAKE HER WORD FOR IT. FROM OUR RTE OF FLT THE APCH STIPULATES THAT WE INTERCEPT THE 15 DME ARC TO THE INBOUND RADIAL OF 148 DEGS. AT 9000 FT AND 23 DME; WE WERE STILL SOLID IMC AND DID NOT WANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE BLACK HOLE OF CONTINUING FOR A VISUAL THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET; SO WE AGAIN ASKED FOR THE VOR RWY 30 APCH. THIS TIME SHE SAID; 'ROGER; INTERCEPT THE 15 DME ARC FOR THE VOR RWY 30 APCH; RPT ESTABLISHED ON THE 148 DEG RADIAL.' WE READ BACK; 'ROGER; CLRED AS REQUESTED; RPT ESTABLISHED ON THE 148 DEG.' SHE READ BACK 'ROGER' AND WE BOTH (CREW MEMBERS) TOOK THAT AS BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH. UPON INTERCEPTING THE 148 DEG RADIAL WE BEGAN DSNDING TO THE STEP-DOWN ALT OF 7500 FT. PASSING THROUGH 8000 FT THE CTLR SAID; 'SAY ALT.' WE SAID; '8000 FT DSNDING TO 7500 FT; ESTABLISHED ON THE 148 DEG ON THE APCH.' SHE THEN SAID; 'YOU WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE APCH.' WE REPLIED; 'WE REQUESTED THE APCH; YOU CLRED US ON THE ARC FOR THE APCH; WE READ BACK; CLRED AS REQUESTED; YOU SAID; ROGER; AND TWO OF US TOOK THAT AS OUR APCH CLRNC.' SHE CAME BACK WITH 'ROGER; YOU ARE CLRED FOR THE RWY 30 APCH.' ON THE GND; WHEN WE CALLED TO CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN; IT WAS LATE NIGHT AT THE UNCTLED ARPT; WE ASKED IF SHE WANTED US TO CALL ON THE LAND LINE ABOUT THE MISCOM. SHE REPLIED; 'NO; DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.' THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS PROOF THAT THERE IS OFTEN A VERY FINE LINE BTWN COM AND MISCOM.