Land without tower clearance.

Attributes
ACN	299039
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	299039
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	298700
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Although I was a 'high minimums' captain, the first officer was flying. This is because we were towards the end of a long 2 day trip that we ended up blocking with over 18 hours of flight time. Approach control at detroit told us we were cleared for a visual approach and to contact tower at the OM (while we were still 5-10 mi out from the marker). We were busy and forgot to contact the tower. After landing, when we went to switch to ground control, we realized that we were still on approach frequency. Later we called the tower on the telephone and they told us we were cleared to land either by tower or approach control. I believe the contributing factors were the facts that the crew was fatigued from an excessively high amount of flying coupled with a reduced rest overnight. And the controller made it easy for the crew to forget to contact the tower by telling them to do so at the marker while they were still 5-10 mi out from the marker.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAND WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH I WAS A 'HIGH MINIMUMS' CAPT, THE FO WAS FLYING. THIS IS BECAUSE WE WERE TOWARDS THE END OF A LONG 2 DAY TRIP THAT WE ENDED UP BLOCKING WITH OVER 18 HRS OF FLT TIME. APCH CTL AT DETROIT TOLD US WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND TO CONTACT TWR AT THE OM (WHILE WE WERE STILL 5-10 MI OUT FROM THE MARKER). WE WERE BUSY AND FORGOT TO CONTACT THE TWR. AFTER LNDG, WHEN WE WENT TO SWITCH TO GND CTL, WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ. LATER WE CALLED THE TWR ON THE TELEPHONE AND THEY TOLD US WE WERE CLRED TO LAND EITHER BY TWR OR APCH CTL. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE FACTS THAT THE CREW WAS FATIGUED FROM AN EXCESSIVELY HIGH AMOUNT OF FLYING COUPLED WITH A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT. AND THE CTLR MADE IT EASY FOR THE CREW TO FORGET TO CONTACT THE TWR BY TELLING THEM TO DO SO AT THE MARKER WHILE THEY WERE STILL 5-10 MI OUT FROM THE MARKER.

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.