DC9 crew landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	472890
Time
Date	200005
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca.tower tower : phl.tower
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	472890
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	472901
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain flying the approach. Approach control told us to contact tower at the 'marker.' first officer (me) stayed on approach control due to the fact we were 3 mi from the marker. Due to high workload, I forgot to switch to tower. Contacted approach control at 500 ft AGL for wind check. Approach control gave wind check reading. Landed without landing clearance. Contacted approach control for taxi information. Approach control asked us to contact tower. Tower cleared us to the gate. Contacted tower by phone line on ground. No problems were noted by the tower. Question remains: when asked to contact tower 'at the marker' but 3-5 mi from marker, when do you switch the frequency? Then, or at the marker?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW LWOC.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING THE APCH. APCH CTL TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR AT THE 'MARKER.' FO (ME) STAYED ON APCH CTL DUE TO THE FACT WE WERE 3 MI FROM THE MARKER. DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD, I FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR. CONTACTED APCH CTL AT 500 FT AGL FOR WIND CHK. APCH CTL GAVE WIND CHK READING. LANDED WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC. CONTACTED APCH CTL FOR TAXI INFO. APCH CTL ASKED US TO CONTACT TWR. TWR CLRED US TO THE GATE. CONTACTED TWR BY PHONE LINE ON GND. NO PROBS WERE NOTED BY THE TWR. QUESTION REMAINS: WHEN ASKED TO CONTACT TWR 'AT THE MARKER' BUT 3-5 MI FROM MARKER, WHEN DO YOU SWITCH THE FREQ? THEN, OR AT THE MARKER?

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.