Air carrier medium large transport unauthorized landing at atl. Forgot to change to tower frequency.

Attributes
ACN	125834
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl tower : atl tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 18000
ASRS Report	125834
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Atl approach control habitually tells all traffic at about 10-15 mi out to contact the tower at the OM (6.4 mi in this case). There is a long interval of time here with the responsibility for the changeover resting with the pilots. In a 2-M crew, environment this is a bit too much! There is too much to do!!--ie, run the approach and landing checklist, passenger announcements to seat F/a's, etc--even if there are no abnormal problems to distract you!! We had an APU that was difficult to start, therefore preoccupied with the possibility of an overtemp or hung start. There was so much chatter on app frequency that we must have subconsciously (being 'in the flow' of the system) thought we were cleared to land. No aircraft were in front of us, but several behind. None on the runway, or txwys, so apparently we were leading the pack. We finally contacted the tower on the ground. We were cleared to cross runway 9L and taxied to the gate. Opinion: I would like for all approach controllers to say: 'contact the tower on 119.1 now!!!' (not at some predetermined point further during the approach.) there is an incredible amount of traffic into atl--the controllers do a wonderful job. The system seems to be overloaded here more than elsewhere.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG UNAUTH LNDG AT ATL. FORGOT TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ.

Narrative: ATL APCH CTL HABITUALLY TELLS ALL TFC AT ABOUT 10-15 MI OUT TO CONTACT THE TWR AT THE OM (6.4 MI IN THIS CASE). THERE IS A LONG INTERVAL OF TIME HERE WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CHANGEOVER RESTING WITH THE PLTS. IN A 2-M CREW, ENVIRONMENT THIS IS A BIT TOO MUCH! THERE IS TOO MUCH TO DO!!--IE, RUN THE APCH AND LNDG CHKLIST, PAX ANNOUNCEMENTS TO SEAT F/A'S, ETC--EVEN IF THERE ARE NO ABNORMAL PROBS TO DISTRACT YOU!! WE HAD AN APU THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO START, THEREFORE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OVERTEMP OR HUNG START. THERE WAS SO MUCH CHATTER ON APP FREQ THAT WE MUST HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY (BEING 'IN THE FLOW' OF THE SYS) THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. NO ACFT WERE IN FRONT OF US, BUT SEVERAL BEHIND. NONE ON THE RWY, OR TXWYS, SO APPARENTLY WE WERE LEADING THE PACK. WE FINALLY CONTACTED THE TWR ON THE GND. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 9L AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. OPINION: I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL APCH CTLRS TO SAY: 'CONTACT THE TWR ON 119.1 NOW!!!' (NOT AT SOME PREDETERMINED POINT FURTHER DURING THE APCH.) THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TFC INTO ATL--THE CTLRS DO A WONDERFUL JOB. THE SYS SEEMS TO BE OVERLOADED HERE MORE THAN ELSEWHERE.

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.