Land without clearance. Distractions from TCASII alert on final plus flocks of birds contributed to the flight crew forgetting to switch frequency to tower.

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Attributes
ACN	333770
Time
Date	199604
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	333770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 5678 flight time type : 1650
ASRS Report	333889
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed on approach control and never switched over to tower for clearance. Supplemental information from acn 333889: captain flying ILS in VFR conditions with heavy area traffic and radio congestion. At approximately 4-5 mi prior to FAF approach control 'cleared us for the approach contact tower at the marker.' about 1-2 mi prior to FAF gear down, started checklist, but got TCASII TA. While searching for traffic, saw birds crossing our flight path. Became concerned about them and finally made visual contact with traffic. Then completed aircraft confign and the landing checklist. After landing and waiting to cross parallel runway I realized I was still on approach control! I 'flipped the switch' to tower with a very sick feeling. Why isn't landing clearance the last item on our checklist. True I haven't needed it in the 25 yrs I have been flying, but it may have helped this one time when I was distracted. Also, I'm sure tower knew who we were and why didn't they query approach control for us to 'FLIP the switch.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAND WITHOUT CLRNC. DISTRACTIONS FROM TCASII ALERT ON FINAL PLUS FLOCKS OF BIRDS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FLC FORGETTING TO SWITCH FREQ TO TWR.

Narrative: LANDED ON APCH CTL AND NEVER SWITCHED OVER TO TWR FOR CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 333889: CAPT FLYING ILS IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH HVY AREA TFC AND RADIO CONGESTION. AT APPROX 4-5 MI PRIOR TO FAF APCH CTL 'CLRED US FOR THE APCH CONTACT TWR AT THE MARKER.' ABOUT 1-2 MI PRIOR TO FAF GEAR DOWN, STARTED CHKLIST, BUT GOT TCASII TA. WHILE SEARCHING FOR TFC, SAW BIRDS XING OUR FLT PATH. BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THEM AND FINALLY MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH TFC. THEN COMPLETED ACFT CONFIGN AND THE LNDG CHKLIST. AFTER LNDG AND WAITING TO CROSS PARALLEL RWY I REALIZED I WAS STILL ON APCH CTL! I 'FLIPPED THE SWITCH' TO TWR WITH A VERY SICK FEELING. WHY ISN'T LNDG CLRNC THE LAST ITEM ON OUR CHKLIST. TRUE I HAVEN'T NEEDED IT IN THE 25 YRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING, BUT IT MAY HAVE HELPED THIS ONE TIME WHEN I WAS DISTRACTED. ALSO, I'M SURE TWR KNEW WHO WE WERE AND WHY DIDN'T THEY QUERY APCH CTL FOR US TO 'FLIP THE SWITCH.'

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.