Flight crew of a super MD80 failed to obtain landing clearance due to distraction on a high final an...

Attributes
ACN	401140
Time
Date	199804
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	401140
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	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC facility: austin tower. Location: austin final. On night en route descent to austin, first officer flying, first officer got late start on descent and was high on extended final. We were cleared north for traffic and then cleared for visual approach and to tower. Both captain and first officer were busy discussing and monitoring this high approach, completing mechanical checklist. We were cleared for s- turns and landing, I believe by tower. After landing and turn-off at mid-field, neither captain nor first officer could remember if tower had cleared us to land. Captain checked with the tower and they could not definitely remember if they had issued landing clearance on tower, but they were watching our landing and there was no problem with them. They said there was no safety problem and issue was closed. Today, apr/thu/98, after receiving and reading the latest update, captain and first officer wanted to submit this situation. Since the change to the S-80 mechanical checklist, removing the two blank spaces that we used for approach and landing clrncs, a fail-safe technique to insure clearance and understanding response has been removed. First officer would like some suggested techniques.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SUPER MD80 FAILED TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC DUE TO DISTR ON A HIGH FINAL AND THE USE OF AN AMENDED CHKLIST WHICH DELETED THE SPACE USED FOR ADDING THE LNDG CLRNC TO THE CHKLIST.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: AUSTIN TWR. LOCATION: AUSTIN FINAL. ON NIGHT ENRTE DSCNT TO AUSTIN, FO FLYING, FO GOT LATE START ON DSCNT AND WAS HIGH ON EXTENDED FINAL. WE WERE CLRED N FOR TFC AND THEN CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND TO TWR. BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE BUSY DISCUSSING AND MONITORING THIS HIGH APCH, COMPLETING MECHANICAL CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED FOR S- TURNS AND LNDG, I BELIEVE BY TWR. AFTER LNDG AND TURN-OFF AT MID-FIELD, NEITHER CAPT NOR FO COULD REMEMBER IF TWR HAD CLRED US TO LAND. CAPT CHKED WITH THE TWR AND THEY COULD NOT DEFINITELY REMEMBER IF THEY HAD ISSUED LNDG CLRNC ON TWR, BUT THEY WERE WATCHING OUR LNDG AND THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THEM. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY PROB AND ISSUE WAS CLOSED. TODAY, APR/THU/98, AFTER RECEIVING AND READING THE LATEST UPDATE, CAPT AND FO WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS SIT. SINCE THE CHANGE TO THE S-80 MECHANICAL CHKLIST, REMOVING THE TWO BLANK SPACES THAT WE USED FOR APCH AND LNDG CLRNCS, A FAIL-SAFE TECHNIQUE TO INSURE CLRNC AND UNDERSTANDING RESPONSE HAS BEEN REMOVED. FO WOULD LIKE SOME SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES.

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 super MD80 failed to obtain landing clearance due to distraction on a high final and the use of an amended checklist which deleted the space used for adding the landing clearance to the checklist.