B737 flight crew become distraction and landing without clearance at atl.

Attributes
ACN	498757
Time
Date	200101
Day	Fri
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	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	498757
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
ASRS Report	499510
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Conducting visual approach to atl runway 8L, following slower traffic. At OM, captain switched to tower 119.50, but mistakenly selected 119.52. Captain (PNF) made call to tower for landing clearance. Simultaneously, I decided to use a higher flap setting due to continued closure on our traffic. Additionally, we began to encounter some gusting winds causing airspeed to fluctuate at +/- 10 KTS. We allowed these events to distract us from the radio. Consequently, we never noticed the misdialed frequency or that we had not received landing clearance. Separation with traffic was ultimately satisfactory and an uneventful (although unclred) landing was made. Our mistake was realized when captain attempted to report the wind gusts to tower and received no response. In retrospect, my decision to change the previously briefed landing confign was ill-timed and of no real practical significance regarding our spacing with the preceding traffic. We should have stuck with our plan as briefed, allowing us to pay attention to all aspects of the approach and landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC BECOME DISTR AND LWOC AT ATL.

Narrative: CONDUCTING VISUAL APCH TO ATL RWY 8L, FOLLOWING SLOWER TFC. AT OM, CAPT SWITCHED TO TWR 119.50, BUT MISTAKENLY SELECTED 119.52. CAPT (PNF) MADE CALL TO TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I DECIDED TO USE A HIGHER FLAP SETTING DUE TO CONTINUED CLOSURE ON OUR TFC. ADDITIONALLY, WE BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER SOME GUSTING WINDS CAUSING AIRSPD TO FLUCTUATE AT +/- 10 KTS. WE ALLOWED THESE EVENTS TO DISTRACT US FROM THE RADIO. CONSEQUENTLY, WE NEVER NOTICED THE MISDIALED FREQ OR THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. SEPARATION WITH TFC WAS ULTIMATELY SATISFACTORY AND AN UNEVENTFUL (ALTHOUGH UNCLRED) LNDG WAS MADE. OUR MISTAKE WAS REALIZED WHEN CAPT ATTEMPTED TO RPT THE WIND GUSTS TO TWR AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. IN RETROSPECT, MY DECISION TO CHANGE THE PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED LNDG CONFIGN WAS ILL-TIMED AND OF NO REAL PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE REGARDING OUR SPACING WITH THE PRECEDING TFC. WE SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH OUR PLAN AS BRIEFED, ALLOWING US TO PAY ATTN TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE APCH AND LNDG.

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.