Narrative:

After being cleared for a visibility approach to 35R with 190 KTS assigned, we were switched to tower frequency. The tower instructed us to slow to our final, and gave us the position of our traffic. It became clear that our traffic was slowing quickly because the aircraft ahead of him had not yet landed. The leading aircraft cleared the runway when our traffic was on short final. As our traffic rolled out, the tower cleared an small aircraft into position on our runway. As our traffic cleared the runway, the small aircraft was cleared for an immediate takeoff. We were now at less than 500' AGL and had not yet received landing clearance. We attempted several calls to the tower with no response. The frequency was extremely congested. At 100' AGL, I initiated a go around. During the go around I had the first officer monitor the small aircraft (he was in a tight turn to the east). When the tower queried us on the reason for the go around, I responded with 'failure to receive landing clearance.' the tower indicated that we had been cleared on initial contact. Neither I, nor the first officer recalled that, and we had not moved the 'cleared to land' toggle on the mechanical checklist. Whether or not we had been cleared initially is irrelevant. From the time of initial contact until the go around, 2 aircraft had landed and 1 had taken off on our runway. Several aircraft had taken off on the inboard runway. Aircraft had been instructed to hold short of runways and to cross runways. The frequency was super-saturated! We are required to have landing clearance, and we could not confirm we had that specific clearance. Essentially, we were forced to go around at a high density airport due to the density of traffic. This situation is unsatisfactory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG GO AROUND BECAUSE EITHER FLT CREW MISSED THEIR LNDG CLRNC OR IT WAS NEVER GIVEN.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO 35R WITH 190 KTS ASSIGNED, WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO SLOW TO OUR FINAL, AND GAVE US THE POS OF OUR TFC. IT BECAME CLR THAT OUR TFC WAS SLOWING QUICKLY BECAUSE THE ACFT AHEAD OF HIM HAD NOT YET LANDED. THE LEADING ACFT CLRED THE RWY WHEN OUR TFC WAS ON SHORT FINAL. AS OUR TFC ROLLED OUT, THE TWR CLRED AN SMA INTO POS ON OUR RWY. AS OUR TFC CLRED THE RWY, THE SMA WAS CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. WE WERE NOW AT LESS THAN 500' AGL AND HAD NOT YET RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. WE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL CALLS TO THE TWR WITH NO RESPONSE. THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED. AT 100' AGL, I INITIATED A GAR. DURING THE GAR I HAD THE F/O MONITOR THE SMA (HE WAS IN A TIGHT TURN TO THE E). WHEN THE TWR QUERIED US ON THE REASON FOR THE GAR, I RESPONDED WITH 'FAILURE TO RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC.' THE TWR INDICATED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED ON INITIAL CONTACT. NEITHER I, NOR THE F/O RECALLED THAT, AND WE HAD NOT MOVED THE 'CLRED TO LAND' TOGGLE ON THE MECHANICAL CHKLIST. WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD BEEN CLRED INITIALLY IS IRRELEVANT. FROM THE TIME OF INITIAL CONTACT UNTIL THE GAR, 2 ACFT HAD LANDED AND 1 HAD TAKEN OFF ON OUR RWY. SEVERAL ACFT HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE INBOARD RWY. ACFT HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWYS AND TO CROSS RWYS. THE FREQ WAS SUPER-SATURATED! WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE LNDG CLRNC, AND WE COULD NOT CONFIRM WE HAD THAT SPECIFIC CLRNC. ESSENTIALLY, WE WERE FORCED TO GO AROUND AT A HIGH DENSITY ARPT DUE TO THE DENSITY OF TFC. THIS SITUATION IS UNSATISFACTORY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.