Narrative:

After being cleared for visual approach to runway 27L at atl and turned over to tower controller, traffic was issued to follow a beech 1900. Due to the 'regular' traffic congestion at atl, the small size of the aircraft, and the fact that the preceding traffic was not lined up with the runway in front of us, it took a while to spot it. Traffic was spotted both visually and on TCASII at 3 mi. Tower informed us to s-turn to the south if needed. After a 'half-hearted' s-turn to the south, the captain resumed his approach. Tower told the B1900 to make minimum time on the runway and also cleared the aircraft behind us to land. At that point, we were on short final and the B1900 had just cleared the runway. Before I could confirm landing clearance, tower started talking to other aircraft and we never got to confirm landing clearance. Due to the fact that the tower had cleared the aircraft behind us to land and the fact that doing a missed approach would probably be more dangerous than landing, we decided to continue and land. I am looking forward to the time when atl has a dedicated 'commuter' runway and the slower traffic can be separated from the faster traffic. Also, the continued expansion at atl drives ATC to continue to try to fit '10 pounds into a 5 pound bag' they do an excellent job, but experiences like this are bound to increase.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS ACR FLC APCHS TO LAND AT ATL, THEY PERCEIVE THAT THEY HAVE LNDG CLRNC, THOUGH NOT CONFIRMED. TFC AHEAD AND BEHIND ARE HEARD TO RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC, AND THE CREW BELIEVE IT IS BEST TO LAND THAN GO AROUND.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L AT ATL AND TURNED OVER TO TWR CTLR, TFC WAS ISSUED TO FOLLOW A BEECH 1900. DUE TO THE 'REGULAR' TFC CONGESTION AT ATL, THE SMALL SIZE OF THE ACFT, AND THE FACT THAT THE PRECEDING TFC WAS NOT LINED UP WITH THE RWY IN FRONT OF US, IT TOOK A WHILE TO SPOT IT. TFC WAS SPOTTED BOTH VISUALLY AND ON TCASII AT 3 MI. TWR INFORMED US TO S-TURN TO THE S IF NEEDED. AFTER A 'HALF-HEARTED' S-TURN TO THE S, THE CAPT RESUMED HIS APCH. TWR TOLD THE B1900 TO MAKE MINIMUM TIME ON THE RWY AND ALSO CLRED THE ACFT BEHIND US TO LAND. AT THAT POINT, WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL AND THE B1900 HAD JUST CLRED THE RWY. BEFORE I COULD CONFIRM LNDG CLRNC, TWR STARTED TALKING TO OTHER ACFT AND WE NEVER GOT TO CONFIRM LNDG CLRNC. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TWR HAD CLRED THE ACFT BEHIND US TO LAND AND THE FACT THAT DOING A MISSED APCH WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN LNDG, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE AND LAND. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN ATL HAS A DEDICATED 'COMMUTER' RWY AND THE SLOWER TFC CAN BE SEPARATED FROM THE FASTER TFC. ALSO, THE CONTINUED EXPANSION AT ATL DRIVES ATC TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO FIT '10 LBS INTO A 5 LB BAG' THEY DO AN EXCELLENT JOB, BUT EXPERIENCES LIKE THIS ARE BOUND TO INCREASE.

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.