Narrative:

On ILS 4R at 15 mi out cleared to cross nabbo at 3000 ft cleared for approach to 4R maintain present speed. At approximately 12 mi told to slow to 180 KTS maintain to miltt, contact tower at miltt 119.1. We failed to contact tower. Never changed frequency and landed without clearance. Caused by landing in low visibility and monitoring coupled approach. Prevent by turning us over to tower at last communication with approach not 5 mi later. Supplemental information from acn 202174: as we taxied clear of the runway and tuned in the ground control frequency, we realized our error. Ground control said nothing to us about this incident. Nor am I aware of any conflict. However, the practice of being cleared for the approach with the further instruction to contact the tower at some later point makes it likely that this type of incident will occur again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: says that visibility was variable 1-3 mi in fog. No clouds. First officer was flying a coupled approach. Very experienced first officer. Flight crew relaxed and no other traffic so frequency was quiet. Complacent and forgot to switch to tower frequency. Did not call tower after landing and has heard no more about incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. UNAUTHORIZED LNDG.

Narrative: ON ILS 4R AT 15 MI OUT CLRED TO CROSS NABBO AT 3000 FT CLRED FOR APCH TO 4R MAINTAIN PRESENT SPD. AT APPROX 12 MI TOLD TO SLOW TO 180 KTS MAINTAIN TO MILTT, CONTACT TWR AT MILTT 119.1. WE FAILED TO CONTACT TWR. NEVER CHANGED FREQ AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. CAUSED BY LNDG IN LOW VISIBILITY AND MONITORING COUPLED APCH. PREVENT BY TURNING US OVER TO TWR AT LAST COM WITH APCH NOT 5 MI LATER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 202174: AS WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND TUNED IN THE GND CTL FREQ, WE REALIZED OUR ERROR. GND CTL SAID NOTHING TO US ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. NOR AM I AWARE OF ANY CONFLICT. HOWEVER, THE PRACTICE OF BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH WITH THE FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT THE TWR AT SOME LATER POINT MAKES IT LIKELY THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT WILL OCCUR AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SAYS THAT VISIBILITY WAS VARIABLE 1-3 MI IN FOG. NO CLOUDS. FO WAS FLYING A COUPLED APCH. VERY EXPERIENCED FO. FLC RELAXED AND NO OTHER TFC SO FREQ WAS QUIET. COMPLACENT AND FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. DID NOT CALL TWR AFTER LNDG AND HAS HEARD NO MORE ABOUT INCIDENT.

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.