MD80 flight crew landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	496648
Time
Date	200101
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 26l
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 390
ASRS Report	496648
Person 2
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 : 300 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	496650
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On jan/xa/01 the copilot and I were flying into atl. During vectors to the final approach, we were given a clearance to contact the tower at the OM. Just outside the OM, a flight attendant chimed us. This is very unusual so the first officer and I looked around the cockpit for a problem. The chime rang again and I picked up the interphone and she asked us if we wanted the emergency lights on. I looked up and saw the emergency light switch on. I turned them back to arm and thanked her. At the time we could not figure out how they got turned on. During this time we had passed the OM and we were concentrating on the landing. We landed and turned off the runway waiting for taxi instructions. That is when we realized we were not on the tower frequency. I switched to tower and reported clear of the runway. The tower gave us taxi instructions but said nothing else. We did not ask if there was a problem with what had happened. We figured out latter that the first officer had turned on the emergency lights when he thought he was turning on the ignition for landing. The emergency light switch on this plane is the same as the ignition switch on our previous plane. I feel the nonstandard switches and a call from the flight attendant on final caused us to miss the call to tower at the OM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC LWOC.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/01 THE COPLT AND I WERE FLYING INTO ATL. DURING VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CONTACT THE TWR AT THE OM. JUST OUTSIDE THE OM, A FLT ATTENDANT CHIMED US. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL SO THE FO AND I LOOKED AROUND THE COCKPIT FOR A PROB. THE CHIME RANG AGAIN AND I PICKED UP THE INTERPHONE AND SHE ASKED US IF WE WANTED THE EMER LIGHTS ON. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE EMER LIGHT SWITCH ON. I TURNED THEM BACK TO ARM AND THANKED HER. AT THE TIME WE COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW THEY GOT TURNED ON. DURING THIS TIME WE HAD PASSED THE OM AND WE WERE CONCENTRATING ON THE LNDG. WE LANDED AND TURNED OFF THE RWY WAITING FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THAT IS WHEN WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT ON THE TWR FREQ. I SWITCHED TO TWR AND RPTED CLR OF THE RWY. THE TWR GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS BUT SAID NOTHING ELSE. WE DID NOT ASK IF THERE WAS A PROB WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE FIGURED OUT LATTER THAT THE FO HAD TURNED ON THE EMER LIGHTS WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS TURNING ON THE IGNITION FOR LNDG. THE EMER LIGHT SWITCH ON THIS PLANE IS THE SAME AS THE IGNITION SWITCH ON OUR PREVIOUS PLANE. I FEEL THE NONSTANDARD SWITCHES AND A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT ON FINAL CAUSED US TO MISS THE CALL TO TWR AT THE OM.

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.