B737 landed without ATC clearance at iah.

Attributes
ACN	634655
Time
Date	200410
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 97 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : i90.tracon
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 8500
ASRS Report	634655
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	634656
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landing without clearance. Approach control made a normal visual approach to landing a traffic conflict by not telling us we had traffic ahead of us for landing. They cleared us for a visual and told to keep the speed up, we did. All of a sudden he is slowing us rapidly because of the aircraft ahead of us. In our haste to get slowed and configured because now the traffic is a problem for us. Approach never turned us over to tower and we forgot to verify a clearance to land. Bottom-line, crew erred by not confirming landing clearance. Supplemental information from acn 634656: approach cleared us for the visual but did not hand us off to tower. We were distraction with the aircraft ahead of us getting off the runway and with getting our speed back. Approach was stabilized at 1000 ft but we were focused on the clearing aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 LANDED WITHOUT ATC CLRNC AT IAH.

Narrative: LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. APCH CTL MADE A NORMAL VISUAL APCH TO LNDG A TFC CONFLICT BY NOT TELLING US WE HAD TFC AHEAD OF US FOR LNDG. THEY CLRED US FOR A VISUAL AND TOLD TO KEEP THE SPD UP, WE DID. ALL OF A SUDDEN HE IS SLOWING US RAPIDLY BECAUSE OF THE ACFT AHEAD OF US. IN OUR HASTE TO GET SLOWED AND CONFIGURED BECAUSE NOW THE TFC IS A PROB FOR US. APCH NEVER TURNED US OVER TO TWR AND WE FORGOT TO VERIFY A CLRNC TO LAND. BOTTOM-LINE, CREW ERRED BY NOT CONFIRMING LNDG CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 634656: APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL BUT DID NOT HAND US OFF TO TWR. WE WERE DISTR WITH THE ACFT AHEAD OF US GETTING OFF THE RWY AND WITH GETTING OUR SPD BACK. APCH WAS STABILIZED AT 1000 FT BUT WE WERE FOCUSED ON THE CLRING ACFT.

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.