Air carrier medium large transport landed without ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	121801
Time
Date	198909
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	121801
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We arrived at bos and because of traffic, we were vectored over the runway, south, to intercept the 4R ILS in sequence. As we were about 8 mi south at 6000', the copilot without my consent or knowledge, reported the 'airport in sight' and accepted a visual. In actuality the field was behind us. Instead of refusing the visual (we were high and fast, ie, 200 KTS), I decided to attempt the visual. As I made the 180 degree turn, descending and decelerating, ATC (TRACON) called out traffic. As a consequence, we were distracted momentarily. I saw that we were high, but determined that with a couple of s-turns, we could successfully make the runway. I called for 'gear down' and checklist and 40 degree of flaps (we originally had only 11 degree). On the descent I noticed that the copilot had not given me 40 degree of flaps (only 28 degree). This distracted me momentarily as I again requested 40 degree and made sure that 40 degree were given. Because of the previous distractions and my concentration on attempting to get the aircraft in a landing confign, as well as the s-turns at a rapid rate of descent, I forgot to check to make sure that the landing checklist was complete. It was not! The copilot was attempting to contact the tower for landing clearance, he made several calls and received no reply. I assumed that the tower was busy due to the large number of aircraft that it was handling. At 100' above the runway threshold, I again asked the copilot if we were cleared to land. He reported that tower had never answered him. Again, I assumed that the tower was busy and a wave-off would cause more confusion than landing. I landed. On rollout, I heard the copilot say a profanity. I asked what the problem was, while I was stopping the aircraft. The copilot replied that he had forgot to switch over from the TRACON frequency to the tower frequency. When we finally got stopped and 'squared away' and on the correct frequency nothing was mentioned about the lack of a landing clearance. I guess that the tower was actually as busy as we were.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LANDED WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT BOS AND BECAUSE OF TFC, WE WERE VECTORED OVER THE RWY, SOUTH, TO INTERCEPT THE 4R ILS IN SEQUENCE. AS WE WERE ABOUT 8 MI SOUTH AT 6000', THE COPLT WITHOUT MY CONSENT OR KNOWLEDGE, REPORTED THE 'ARPT IN SIGHT' AND ACCEPTED A VISUAL. IN ACTUALITY THE FIELD WAS BEHIND US. INSTEAD OF REFUSING THE VISUAL (WE WERE HIGH AND FAST, IE, 200 KTS), I DECIDED TO ATTEMPT THE VISUAL. AS I MADE THE 180 DEG TURN, DESCENDING AND DECELERATING, ATC (TRACON) CALLED OUT TFC. AS A CONSEQUENCE, WE WERE DISTRACTED MOMENTARILY. I SAW THAT WE WERE HIGH, BUT DETERMINED THAT WITH A COUPLE OF S-TURNS, WE COULD SUCCESSFULLY MAKE THE RWY. I CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN' AND CHECKLIST AND 40 DEG OF FLAPS (WE ORIGINALLY HAD ONLY 11 DEG). ON THE DSCNT I NOTICED THAT THE COPLT HAD NOT GIVEN ME 40 DEG OF FLAPS (ONLY 28 DEG). THIS DISTRACTED ME MOMENTARILY AS I AGAIN REQUESTED 40 DEG AND MADE SURE THAT 40 DEG WERE GIVEN. BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS DISTRACTIONS AND MY CONCENTRATION ON ATTEMPTING TO GET THE ACFT IN A LNDG CONFIGN, AS WELL AS THE S-TURNS AT A RAPID RATE OF DSCNT, I FORGOT TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LNDG CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETE. IT WAS NOT! THE COPLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC, HE MADE SEVERAL CALLS AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS BUSY DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF ACFT THAT IT WAS HANDLING. AT 100' ABOVE THE RWY THRESHOLD, I AGAIN ASKED THE COPLT IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. HE REPORTED THAT TWR HAD NEVER ANSWERED HIM. AGAIN, I ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS BUSY AND A WAVE-OFF WOULD CAUSE MORE CONFUSION THAN LNDG. I LANDED. ON ROLLOUT, I HEARD THE COPLT SAY A PROFANITY. I ASKED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, WHILE I WAS STOPPING THE ACFT. THE COPLT REPLIED THAT HE HAD FORGOT TO SWITCH OVER FROM THE TRACON FREQ TO THE TWR FREQ. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT STOPPED AND 'SQUARED AWAY' AND ON THE CORRECT FREQ NOTHING WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE LACK OF A LNDG CLRNC. I GUESS THAT THE TWR WAS ACTUALLY AS BUSY AS WE WERE.

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.