Narrative:

Another 2 person crew problem. Both crew members became work overloaded and failed to realize that they had landed on a runway that was not authority/authorized for their airline's aircraft. We departed dfw for short flight to iah. During descent had a company communication (ACARS) problem that required captain PNF to leave ATC communications loop and talk with company dispatcher. I, PF, flew STAR and communicated with ATC. PNF was gone for about 10 mins and just returned as we entered the terminal area. He then had to get ATIS, run checklists and set up navaids for visibility approach at iah. ATC kept us high for a long time and we had to rapidly descend as we entered the iad approach airspace. Autoplt was not acting quickly enough during descent, so I manually flew the aircraft--a mistake! Controller told us to intercept 14L localizer for ILS to 14L sidestep to 14R. 14R is 6001' long, and we both quickly checked to see if it was authority/authorized for our company aircraft. We saw nothing in our quick check. Many things were going on (several VFR targets being pointed out, our interception of localizer for 14R, at steep hand-flown descend), captain asked for 14L but was told unable due to aircraft taking off. We landed on 14R (6001' long, 100' wide) with no problems. A later check confirmed our fears that 14R was not authority/authorized for landing or takeoff by our company's aircraft. This mistake was caused by a very simple problem--we were just overloaded. Some was self-induced and some was a result of outside factors. But in our 2-M crew, we just needed an extra set of hands and eyes to help us. We should have refused 14R because there was doubt in both our minds about its correctness, or insisted that we be given more time to investigate our questions. But we did not; a hurry-up and get the job done attitude caused us to make a potentially dangerous mistake. Another lesson learned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG UNAUTH RWY.

Narrative: ANOTHER 2 PERSON CREW PROB. BOTH CREW MEMBERS BECAME WORK OVERLOADED AND FAILED TO REALIZE THAT THEY HAD LANDED ON A RWY THAT WAS NOT AUTH FOR THEIR AIRLINE'S ACFT. WE DEPARTED DFW FOR SHORT FLT TO IAH. DURING DSNT HAD A COMPANY COM (ACARS) PROB THAT REQUIRED CAPT PNF TO LEAVE ATC COMS LOOP AND TALK WITH COMPANY DISPATCHER. I, PF, FLEW STAR AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC. PNF WAS GONE FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND JUST RETURNED AS WE ENTERED THE TERMINAL AREA. HE THEN HAD TO GET ATIS, RUN CHKLISTS AND SET UP NAVAIDS FOR VIS APCH AT IAH. ATC KEPT US HIGH FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HAD TO RAPIDLY DSND AS WE ENTERED THE IAD APCH AIRSPACE. AUTOPLT WAS NOT ACTING QUICKLY ENOUGH DURING DSNT, SO I MANUALLY FLEW THE ACFT--A MISTAKE! CTLR TOLD US TO INTERCEPT 14L LOC FOR ILS TO 14L SIDESTEP TO 14R. 14R IS 6001' LONG, AND WE BOTH QUICKLY CHKED TO SEE IF IT WAS AUTH FOR OUR COMPANY ACFT. WE SAW NOTHING IN OUR QUICK CHK. MANY THINGS WERE GOING ON (SEVERAL VFR TARGETS BEING POINTED OUT, OUR INTERCEPTION OF LOC FOR 14R, AT STEEP HAND-FLOWN DSND), CAPT ASKED FOR 14L BUT WAS TOLD UNABLE DUE TO ACFT TAKING OFF. WE LANDED ON 14R (6001' LONG, 100' WIDE) WITH NO PROBS. A LATER CHK CONFIRMED OUR FEARS THAT 14R WAS NOT AUTH FOR LNDG OR TKOF BY OUR COMPANY'S ACFT. THIS MISTAKE WAS CAUSED BY A VERY SIMPLE PROB--WE WERE JUST OVERLOADED. SOME WAS SELF-INDUCED AND SOME WAS A RESULT OF OUTSIDE FACTORS. BUT IN OUR 2-M CREW, WE JUST NEEDED AN EXTRA SET OF HANDS AND EYES TO HELP US. WE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED 14R BECAUSE THERE WAS DOUBT IN BOTH OUR MINDS ABOUT ITS CORRECTNESS, OR INSISTED THAT WE BE GIVEN MORE TIME TO INVESTIGATE OUR QUESTIONS. BUT WE DID NOT; A HURRY-UP AND GET THE JOB DONE ATTITUDE CAUSED US TO MAKE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MISTAKE. ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED.

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.