Unable to contact tower for landing clearance.

Attributes
ACN	100348
Time
Date	198812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa tower : tpa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	100348
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Approach control turned us over to tower. We called with no response from tower. We were on instruments inside the OM. We called again; no luck. We called ground control; no luck. We called approach control again; no luck. We then called the tower again; no luck. I then called the tower and said, 'if you read me, give me a light.' still no luck. At this time an air carrier flight answered my call and said they read us and that tower was off the air. We now had runway 36 in sight and I landed west/O clearance. All the above occurred in less than a minute. I elected to land as I had runway 36 in sight. No aircraft were on the runway and a go around would have put all missed approach aircraft at the same missed approach fix and at the same altitude with no ATC control, as it was their radios that were out. After landing, contact was made with ground control who told me that a master switch was shut off, turning off tower, approach and ground control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: APCH CTL TURNED US OVER TO TWR. WE CALLED WITH NO RESPONSE FROM TWR. WE WERE ON INSTRUMENTS INSIDE THE OM. WE CALLED AGAIN; NO LUCK. WE CALLED GND CTL; NO LUCK. WE CALLED APCH CTL AGAIN; NO LUCK. WE THEN CALLED THE TWR AGAIN; NO LUCK. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND SAID, 'IF YOU READ ME, GIVE ME A LIGHT.' STILL NO LUCK. AT THIS TIME AN ACR FLT ANSWERED MY CALL AND SAID THEY READ US AND THAT TWR WAS OFF THE AIR. WE NOW HAD RWY 36 IN SIGHT AND I LANDED W/O CLRNC. ALL THE ABOVE OCCURRED IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. I ELECTED TO LAND AS I HAD RWY 36 IN SIGHT. NO ACFT WERE ON THE RWY AND A GAR WOULD HAVE PUT ALL MISSED APCH ACFT AT THE SAME MISSED APCH FIX AND AT THE SAME ALT WITH NO ATC CTL, AS IT WAS THEIR RADIOS THAT WERE OUT. AFTER LNDG, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH GND CTL WHO TOLD ME THAT A MASTER SWITCH WAS SHUT OFF, TURNING OFF TWR, APCH AND GND CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.