Flight crew of a B737-300 landed without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	391720
Time
Date	199801
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	391720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
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:

We landed on runway 36 without a clearance from tower. The WX was IFR at night and we were flying an ILS approach. I was flying the aircraft and the captain was talking. We were cleared for the approach from about 15 mi out. ATC never switched us over to tower or told me to switch over at a designated point. The WX was quite bad and we were working hard on the approach. We broke out about 500 ft and landed without ever talking to the tower. We could see the runway was clear and the tower seemed to be expecting us, but the fact is we never got an official clearance. I think there is shared blame here between ATC for not effecting a positive handoff and for us for not being aware that we were not on tower frequency. I also think that PNF has to have primary responsibility for communication since the PF is absorbed with flight duties, but as always, both crew members are responsible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 36 WITHOUT A CLRNC FROM TWR. THE WX WAS IFR AT NIGHT AND WE WERE FLYING AN ILS APCH. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND THE CAPT WAS TALKING. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH FROM ABOUT 15 MI OUT. ATC NEVER SWITCHED US OVER TO TWR OR TOLD ME TO SWITCH OVER AT A DESIGNATED POINT. THE WX WAS QUITE BAD AND WE WERE WORKING HARD ON THE APCH. WE BROKE OUT ABOUT 500 FT AND LANDED WITHOUT EVER TALKING TO THE TWR. WE COULD SEE THE RWY WAS CLR AND THE TWR SEEMED TO BE EXPECTING US, BUT THE FACT IS WE NEVER GOT AN OFFICIAL CLRNC. I THINK THERE IS SHARED BLAME HERE BTWN ATC FOR NOT EFFECTING A POSITIVE HDOF AND FOR US FOR NOT BEING AWARE THAT WE WERE NOT ON TWR FREQ. I ALSO THINK THAT PNF HAS TO HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR COM SINCE THE PF IS ABSORBED WITH FLT DUTIES, BUT AS ALWAYS, BOTH CREW MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE.

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.