Landing without clearance by air carrier. Unauthorized landing.

Attributes
ACN	201403
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tower : den
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
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16874 flight time type : 12874
ASRS Report	201403
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 186 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	201233
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed 8L at den without clearance. Contributing factors: we were cleared for visual to 8L maintain 7500 ft MSL until past downtown den. Air carrier Y was 2 mi in front for a visual to 8R. Crew workload was high due to steep descent, configuring, demanding scan, keeping visual on large transport air carrier Y. We do not recall the switch from approach to tower and feel the controller neglected to switch us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter related events prior to final approach segment. Says on high downwind they were told to contact a second approach controller, but given wrong frequency. Took some time to find correct frequency on charts and when contacting approach again they heard ATC giving another air carrier aircraft an immediate right turn for traffic. Not sure if they were the other aircraft involved, but reporter (PIC/PNF) was upset to the extent that he got shaky feeling. Says that when he is tired and hungry he gets 'the shakes'. This was 4TH leg of 4TH day of schedule and it had been approximately 20 hours since last good meal. Says that den ATC keeps aircraft too high until close to airport and causes steep approach to get down and stabilized on final. Says there was a controller voice change on final and thinks it was shift change and controller did not give frequency change to tower frequency. Reviewed incident with ATC by phone after reaching gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC BY ACR. UNAUTHORIZED LNDG.

Narrative: LANDED 8L AT DEN WITHOUT CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL TO 8L MAINTAIN 7500 FT MSL UNTIL PAST DOWNTOWN DEN. ACR Y WAS 2 MI IN FRONT FOR A VISUAL TO 8R. CREW WORKLOAD WAS HIGH DUE TO STEEP DSCNT, CONFIGURING, DEMANDING SCAN, KEEPING VISUAL ON LGT ACR Y. WE DO NOT RECALL THE SWITCH FROM APCH TO TWR AND FEEL THE CTLR NEGLECTED TO SWITCH US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RELATED EVENTS PRIOR TO FINAL APCH SEGMENT. SAYS ON HIGH DOWNWIND THEY WERE TOLD TO CONTACT A SECOND APCH CTLR, BUT GIVEN WRONG FREQ. TOOK SOME TIME TO FIND CORRECT FREQ ON CHARTS AND WHEN CONTACTING APCH AGAIN THEY HEARD ATC GIVING ANOTHER ACR ACFT AN IMMEDIATE R TURN FOR TFC. NOT SURE IF THEY WERE THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED, BUT RPTR (PIC/PNF) WAS UPSET TO THE EXTENT THAT HE GOT SHAKY FEELING. SAYS THAT WHEN HE IS TIRED AND HUNGRY HE GETS 'THE SHAKES'. THIS WAS 4TH LEG OF 4TH DAY OF SCHEDULE AND IT HAD BEEN APPROX 20 HRS SINCE LAST GOOD MEAL. SAYS THAT DEN ATC KEEPS ACFT TOO HIGH UNTIL CLOSE TO ARPT AND CAUSES STEEP APCH TO GET DOWN AND STABILIZED ON FINAL. SAYS THERE WAS A CTLR VOICE CHANGE ON FINAL AND THINKS IT WAS SHIFT CHANGE AND CTLR DID NOT GIVE FREQ CHANGE TO TWR FREQ. REVIEWED INCIDENT WITH ATC BY PHONE AFTER REACHING GATE.

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.