Flight crew of a government small transport turboprop failed to obtain landing clearance at a govern...

Attributes
ACN	400870
Time
Date	199804
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wal
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 42 flight time total : 5479 flight time type : 27
ASRS Report	400870
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far 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:

Department duties kept chief pilot occupied throughout the preflight duties so sic (myself) picked up PIC's responsibilities as well (flight plans and WX data). Passenger arrived and flight dispatched on time. PIC gave control of aircraft to sic on climb out. On visual approach at destination the wallops island tower facility requested the flight enter a right downwind to runway 22 and 'call turning final.' additionally, instructions were given concerning arresting gear (cables) on both ends of runway. Sic suggested that PIC make the landing and PIC concurred. Some conversation between pilots followed regarding the physical location of the arresting cables and continued until short final when both pilots were satisfied they could visually identify the cables. Both pilots forgot about the tower's request of alerting them the aircraft was on final. The tower personnel were apparently awaiting the call to issue landing clearance. Consequently landing clearance was never issued or received. Note: PIC took over control of aircraft in the downwind leg, therefore, responsibility to 'call tower on final' fell to sic. This airport had very light volume of traffic while we were there. I am aware of only 4 arrs and departures during our 5 hour stay at wal. Perhaps tower personnel should attempt to visually identify traffic in their pattern somewhere earlier than final approach, or issue the clearance earlier. As a civilian pilot, I was unaccustomed to the phraseology and procedures the tower personnel were using. This contributed to the events that culminated in landing without clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A GOV SMT TURBOPROP FAILED TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC AT A GOV BASE DUE TO THE DIFFERENT PHRASEOLOGY USED BY THE GOV TWR PERSONNEL AND DISTR WHILE SEARCHING FOR ARRESTING CABLES.

Narrative: DEPT DUTIES KEPT CHIEF PLT OCCUPIED THROUGHOUT THE PREFLT DUTIES SO SIC (MYSELF) PICKED UP PIC'S RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL (FLT PLANS AND WX DATA). PAX ARRIVED AND FLT DISPATCHED ON TIME. PIC GAVE CTL OF ACFT TO SIC ON CLBOUT. ON VISUAL APCH AT DEST THE WALLOPS ISLAND TWR FACILITY REQUESTED THE FLT ENTER A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 22 AND 'CALL TURNING FINAL.' ADDITIONALLY, INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN CONCERNING ARRESTING GEAR (CABLES) ON BOTH ENDS OF RWY. SIC SUGGESTED THAT PIC MAKE THE LNDG AND PIC CONCURRED. SOME CONVERSATION BTWN PLTS FOLLOWED REGARDING THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE ARRESTING CABLES AND CONTINUED UNTIL SHORT FINAL WHEN BOTH PLTS WERE SATISFIED THEY COULD VISUALLY IDENT THE CABLES. BOTH PLTS FORGOT ABOUT THE TWR'S REQUEST OF ALERTING THEM THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE APPARENTLY AWAITING THE CALL TO ISSUE LNDG CLRNC. CONSEQUENTLY LNDG CLRNC WAS NEVER ISSUED OR RECEIVED. NOTE: PIC TOOK OVER CTL OF ACFT IN THE DOWNWIND LEG, THEREFORE, RESPONSIBILITY TO 'CALL TWR ON FINAL' FELL TO SIC. THIS ARPT HAD VERY LIGHT VOLUME OF TFC WHILE WE WERE THERE. I AM AWARE OF ONLY 4 ARRS AND DEPS DURING OUR 5 HR STAY AT WAL. PERHAPS TWR PERSONNEL SHOULD ATTEMPT TO VISUALLY IDENT TFC IN THEIR PATTERN SOMEWHERE EARLIER THAN FINAL APCH, OR ISSUE THE CLRNC EARLIER. AS A CIVILIAN PLT, I WAS UNACCUSTOMED TO THE PHRASEOLOGY AND PROCS THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE USING. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENTS THAT CULMINATED IN LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

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 a government small transport turboprop failed to obtain landing clearance at a government base due to the different phraseology used by the government tower personnel and distraction while searching for arresting cables.