Air carrier landing without clearance. Pilot deviation.

Attributes
ACN	190822
Time
Date	199110
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4035 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	190822
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure
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:

I was the PF of a flight into pit. The WX was exceptionally good and the flight proceeded normally. Upon entering pit airspace we were told to look for medium large transport air carrier Y that we would follow to the airport. We found the traffic and were cleared for the visual approach to 28L. Since I was flying, I was concentrating on keeping the traffic in sight. Since it was dusk I was looking into the sun during this time. The captain for the flight was new in the airplane, this was his second day of line flying since IOE and wasn't yet settled into the 'flow' of the checklists and handling of the aircraft. We continued the approach and landed, upon clearing the runway we were not told to contact ground so I announced (the captain now had control of the aircraft) that flight XXXX was clear of the active. After a pause we were told to contact ground .9. This pause was the first hint that something was wrong. Ground told us to taxi to the ramp and after a few moments asked us if we had talked to the tower. We replied that we had and he replied that the tower must be getting forgetful. Nothing else was said. After further thinking we later realized that approach had never switched us to tower and that we too had forgotten to remind them. I believe that I was trying to keep our traffic in sight and follow the ILS so intently while looking into the sun that I failed to notice that we had never swapped frequencys. ATC was relatively busy and we had been cleared for the visual, I believe that the last thing either of us distinctly remembers is being cleared for approach and it stuck in our heads enough that we thought we were cleared to land. I have to say that I believe the majority of the blame rests with us, the crew. Although we were tired that is not an excuse to let one's diligence wane. I believe that part of the situation was caused by approach never telling us to contact the tower. More awareness by both parties would have prevented the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF OF A FLT INTO PIT. THE WX WAS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. UPON ENTERING PIT AIRSPACE WE WERE TOLD TO LOOK FOR MLG ACR Y THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW TO THE ARPT. WE FOUND THE TFC AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO 28L. SINCE I WAS FLYING, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING THE TFC IN SIGHT. SINCE IT WAS DUSK I WAS LOOKING INTO THE SUN DURING THIS TIME. THE CAPT FOR THE FLT WAS NEW IN THE AIRPLANE, THIS WAS HIS SECOND DAY OF LINE FLYING SINCE IOE AND WASN'T YET SETTLED INTO THE 'FLOW' OF THE CHKLISTS AND HANDLING OF THE ACFT. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED, UPON CLRING THE RWY WE WERE NOT TOLD TO CONTACT GND SO I ANNOUNCED (THE CAPT NOW HAD CTL OF THE ACFT) THAT FLT XXXX WAS CLR OF THE ACTIVE. AFTER A PAUSE WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT GND .9. THIS PAUSE WAS THE FIRST HINT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. GND TOLD US TO TAXI TO THE RAMP AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS ASKED US IF WE HAD TALKED TO THE TWR. WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD AND HE REPLIED THAT THE TWR MUST BE GETTING FORGETFUL. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. AFTER FURTHER THINKING WE LATER REALIZED THAT APCH HAD NEVER SWITCHED US TO TWR AND THAT WE TOO HAD FORGOTTEN TO REMIND THEM. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS TRYING TO KEEP OUR TFC IN SIGHT AND FOLLOW THE ILS SO INTENTLY WHILE LOOKING INTO THE SUN THAT I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT WE HAD NEVER SWAPPED FREQS. ATC WAS RELATIVELY BUSY AND WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, I BELIEVE THAT THE LAST THING EITHER OF US DISTINCTLY REMEMBERS IS BEING CLRED FOR APCH AND IT STUCK IN OUR HEADS ENOUGH THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF THE BLAME RESTS WITH US, THE CREW. ALTHOUGH WE WERE TIRED THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO LET ONE'S DILIGENCE WANE. I BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY APCH NEVER TELLING US TO CONTACT THE TWR. MORE AWARENESS BY BOTH PARTIES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE SITUATION.

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.