Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport aircraft landed without tower clearance.

Attributes
ACN	225240
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 25500 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	225240
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 6400
ASRS Report	225244
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The problem arose out of a visual approach to 4R at boston's logan airport. We were being vectored by approach control when he called out traffic landing on 4L (contributing factor). The captain and I used TCASII to help try to sight the traffic visually, all checklists were accomplished by 1000 ft AGL. Also, at 1000 ft we sighted the traffic. After the traffic call by approach control the only other radio call we received was clearance for the visual approach. At 500 ft AGL the captain turned the radar on after we saw birds on final. The approach and landing were normal. We discovered we had landed while still on approach control frequency as we were clearing runway 4R and making the switch to ground. We told approach he had not switched us to tower and then he switched us. We talked to tower and they made no mention of the problem. After we arrived at the gate, the captain called the boston tower supervisor to explain the situation. The tower supervisor said that there was no problem and there had been no conflict. I feel that the TA, busy workload for the controller, and watching for/and avoiding birds on final, led to distrs that caused the frequency change oversight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM AROSE OUT OF A VISUAL APCH TO 4R AT BOSTON'S LOGAN ARPT. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH CTL WHEN HE CALLED OUT TFC LNDG ON 4L (CONTRIBUTING FACTOR). THE CAPT AND I USED TCASII TO HELP TRY TO SIGHT THE TFC VISUALLY, ALL CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY 1000 FT AGL. ALSO, AT 1000 FT WE SIGHTED THE TFC. AFTER THE TFC CALL BY APCH CTL THE ONLY OTHER RADIO CALL WE RECEIVED WAS CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AT 500 FT AGL THE CAPT TURNED THE RADAR ON AFTER WE SAW BIRDS ON FINAL. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. WE DISCOVERED WE HAD LANDED WHILE STILL ON APCH CTL FREQ AS WE WERE CLRING RWY 4R AND MAKING THE SWITCH TO GND. WE TOLD APCH HE HAD NOT SWITCHED US TO TWR AND THEN HE SWITCHED US. WE TALKED TO TWR AND THEY MADE NO MENTION OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE, THE CAPT CALLED THE BOSTON TWR SUPVR TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION. THE TWR SUPVR SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT. I FEEL THAT THE TA, BUSY WORKLOAD FOR THE CTLR, AND WATCHING FOR/AND AVOIDING BIRDS ON FINAL, LED TO DISTRS THAT CAUSED THE FREQ CHANGE OVERSIGHT.

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.