Narrative:

Unknown to us mem TRACON was having a problem with their radios. We were on a visual approach to runway 27 at mem with about a 5 KT tailwind. The copilot was flying. He was somewhat inexperienced and tended to let the aircraft get ahead of him so I concentrated on his flying to make sure that he didn't get too far behind and didn't notice that approach had not changed us over to tower. Consequently we landed without clearance. When we did contact mem tower on the ground they told us about the radio problem. There was no problems landing without clearance. Supplemental information from acn 202086. Mem approach was vectoring us to a runway 36R visual approach. At approximately 20 NM northeast of airport, they asked us if we would like the visual to runway 27. We accepted and immediately started to configure because we were high. During the approach I mentioned to the captain that we had a 'pretty good tailwind' he concurred and we pretty much concentrated on getting the aircraft down on the GS and 'on- speed.' after rollout and turning aircraft over to captain I (co- pilot) started to switch to ground after the turnoff and noticed we were still on approach control. After contacting ground, they said, 'they're having some trouble down there,' we assumed that meant approach control and for whatever reason they never switched us over to tower. We were afraid we had landed without landing clearance, and asked ground if 'that was a problem.' they said 'no problem.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter gave time in type and also experience level of first officer. While on final they heard a small transport trying to call approach control without any answer, but did not realize that TRACON had radio problem until tower told them after landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. UNAUTHORIZED LNDG.

Narrative: UNKNOWN TO US MEM TRACON WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THEIR RADIOS. WE WERE ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27 AT MEM WITH ABOUT A 5 KT TAILWIND. THE COPLT WAS FLYING. HE WAS SOMEWHAT INEXPERIENCED AND TENDED TO LET THE ACFT GET AHEAD OF HIM SO I CONCENTRATED ON HIS FLYING TO MAKE SURE THAT HE DIDN'T GET TOO FAR BEHIND AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT APCH HAD NOT CHANGED US OVER TO TWR. CONSEQUENTLY WE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. WHEN WE DID CONTACT MEM TWR ON THE GND THEY TOLD US ABOUT THE RADIO PROBLEM. THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 202086. MEM APCH WAS VECTORING US TO A RWY 36R VISUAL APCH. AT APPROX 20 NM NE OF ARPT, THEY ASKED US IF WE WOULD LIKE THE VISUAL TO RWY 27. WE ACCEPTED AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO CONFIGURE BECAUSE WE WERE HIGH. DURING THE APCH I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE HAD A 'PRETTY GOOD TAILWIND' HE CONCURRED AND WE PRETTY MUCH CONCENTRATED ON GETTING THE ACFT DOWN ON THE GS AND 'ON- SPD.' AFTER ROLLOUT AND TURNING ACFT OVER TO CAPT I (CO- PLT) STARTED TO SWITCH TO GND AFTER THE TURNOFF AND NOTICED WE WERE STILL ON APCH CTL. AFTER CONTACTING GND, THEY SAID, 'THEY'RE HAVING SOME TROUBLE DOWN THERE,' WE ASSUMED THAT MEANT APCH CTL AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY NEVER SWITCHED US OVER TO TWR. WE WERE AFRAID WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC, AND ASKED GND IF 'THAT WAS A PROBLEM.' THEY SAID 'NO PROBLEM.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR GAVE TIME IN TYPE AND ALSO EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF FO. WHILE ON FINAL THEY HEARD A SMT TRYING TO CALL APCH CTL WITHOUT ANY ANSWER, BUT DID NOT REALIZE THAT TRACON HAD RADIO PROBLEM UNTIL TWR TOLD THEM AFTER LNDG.

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.