Flight crew of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft failed to contact the tower as directe...

Attributes
ACN	250977
Time
Date	199309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	250977
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach approximately 10 mi north of stapleton airport for runway 17L. Instructed to contact tower at 5 DME. At approximately 5 DME, TCASII gave several loud TA's. The traffic which had been in sight for runway 17R was giving the alert, but the distraction of the TCASII was enough of a disruption to our normal cockpit flow at this time to direct our attention away from contacting den tower at 5 DME. At our 1000 ft above the ground callout, where we confirm our landing clearance, we again received the loud TA from the TCASII. Again our attention was redirected away from our duties to the TCASII and the potential conflicting parallel traffic. Due to the intrusive distrs of the TCASII TA's at 2 critical points on our approach, we failed to contact the tower for landing clearance prior to landing. For good reason the FAA mandates the sterile cockpit principal to minimize unnecessary distrs in the cockpit during critical phases of flight. The present technology TCASII creates just such unnecessary distrs. When these distrs create unwanted incidents, the flight crew should enjoy the same amnesty from resulting violations as are assured when altitudes are violated when maneuvering due to TCASII RA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT FAILED TO CONTACT THE TWR AS DIRECTED BY APCH CTL RESULTING IN LNDG WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC. FLC CLAIMS TCASII DISTR DURING FINAL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH APPROX 10 MI N OF STAPLETON ARPT FOR RWY 17L. INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR AT 5 DME. AT APPROX 5 DME, TCASII GAVE SEVERAL LOUD TA'S. THE TFC WHICH HAD BEEN IN SIGHT FOR RWY 17R WAS GIVING THE ALERT, BUT THE DISTR OF THE TCASII WAS ENOUGH OF A DISRUPTION TO OUR NORMAL COCKPIT FLOW AT THIS TIME TO DIRECT OUR ATTN AWAY FROM CONTACTING DEN TWR AT 5 DME. AT OUR 1000 FT ABOVE THE GND CALLOUT, WHERE WE CONFIRM OUR LNDG CLRNC, WE AGAIN RECEIVED THE LOUD TA FROM THE TCASII. AGAIN OUR ATTN WAS REDIRECTED AWAY FROM OUR DUTIES TO THE TCASII AND THE POTENTIAL CONFLICTING PARALLEL TFC. DUE TO THE INTRUSIVE DISTRS OF THE TCASII TA'S AT 2 CRITICAL POINTS ON OUR APCH, WE FAILED TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC PRIOR TO LNDG. FOR GOOD REASON THE FAA MANDATES THE STERILE COCKPIT PRINCIPAL TO MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY DISTRS IN THE COCKPIT DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. THE PRESENT TECHNOLOGY TCASII CREATES JUST SUCH UNNECESSARY DISTRS. WHEN THESE DISTRS CREATE UNWANTED INCIDENTS, THE FLC SHOULD ENJOY THE SAME AMNESTY FROM RESULTING VIOLATIONS AS ARE ASSURED WHEN ALTS ARE VIOLATED WHEN MANEUVERING DUE TO TCASII RA.

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.

Flight crew of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft failed to contact the tower as directed by approach control resulting in landing without landing clearance. Flight crew claims TCASII distraction during final approach.