A300, still on approach frequency, landing without clearance at bos during ship in the harbor coordi...

Attributes
ACN	614891
Time
Date	200404
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	614891
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Super tanker in channel to cross approach end of runway 4R, bos airport. Aircraft behind diverted. Approach failed to give clearance for approach. At 4000 ft MSL, captain alerted ATC that runway in sight. Tanker still well right of course, approaching channel, ATC cleared visual approach, no further instructions. No ATC communications given until touchdown. Tower communications not received from ATC. Apparently, controller dedicated to landline coordination for tanker in shipping channel. Aircraft landed uneventfully. Tower notified at touchdown about tanker coordination. No ATC instructions given regarding tower frequency or go around due to tanker. Reason for ATC silence unknown except for possible landline coordination of tanker ship passage. If landing clearance was given, not received due to approach keeping us on their frequency apparently for possible go around. Once on runway, notified tower of tanker coordination. He said they had to divert aircraft for them. No other information on landing given. Recommend landing clearance on approach frequency, if not switching to tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300, STILL ON APCH FREQ, LWOC AT BOS DURING SHIP IN THE HARBOR COORD CONFUSION.

Narrative: SUPER TANKER IN CHANNEL TO CROSS APCH END OF RWY 4R, BOS ARPT. ACFT BEHIND DIVERTED. APCH FAILED TO GIVE CLRNC FOR APCH. AT 4000 FT MSL, CAPT ALERTED ATC THAT RWY IN SIGHT. TANKER STILL WELL R OF COURSE, APCHING CHANNEL, ATC CLRED VISUAL APCH, NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. NO ATC COMS GIVEN UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. TWR COMS NOT RECEIVED FROM ATC. APPARENTLY, CTLR DEDICATED TO LANDLINE COORD FOR TANKER IN SHIPPING CHANNEL. ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TWR NOTIFIED AT TOUCHDOWN ABOUT TANKER COORD. NO ATC INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN REGARDING TWR FREQ OR GAR DUE TO TANKER. REASON FOR ATC SILENCE UNKNOWN EXCEPT FOR POSSIBLE LANDLINE COORD OF TANKER SHIP PASSAGE. IF LNDG CLRNC WAS GIVEN, NOT RECEIVED DUE TO APCH KEEPING US ON THEIR FREQ APPARENTLY FOR POSSIBLE GAR. ONCE ON RWY, NOTIFIED TWR OF TANKER COORD. HE SAID THEY HAD TO DIVERT ACFT FOR THEM. NO OTHER INFO ON LNDG GIVEN. RECOMMEND LNDG CLRNC ON APCH FREQ, IF NOT SWITCHING TO TWR.

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.

A300, still on approach frequency, landing without clearance at bos during ship in the harbor coordination confusion.