Commuter has radio problem on approach, lands without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	225565
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : alb
State Reference	NY
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	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	225564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight jfk-alb lost communication with ATC on approach and landed without a landing clearance. We were in contact with albany approach control and given a descent to 3000 ft MSL. Upon reaching 3000 ft we called the field in sight at approximately 7-8 mi ssw of the field. Approach control had given us delay vectors earlier for an airlines flight that was on approach and lost all communications with ATC. When we called the field in sight, ATC advised that the air carrier flight was not on 1/2 mi final and was no factor. We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 2 straight in. We started a descent out of 3000 ft to begin the approach. We then began to hear screeching and squealing on the radios. We tried to contact approach but did not get a reply. We were now close in on the approach so we switched over to tower to check in and tell them about approach frequency problems. We encountered the same problem on tower frequency. We tried several frequencys, including ground but could still not reach anyone. Since we were cleared for the approach, it was past our arrival time, and the runway was clear we executed a normal landing which was uneventful. We cleared the runway and again tried to reach ATC on ground. The squealing on the radio now switched to someone with a 'hot' microphone. We contacted tower on 119.5 and finally got someone. All they said was taxi to the gate. Upon shutdown we tested the radios. We were able to reach company without any problems however tower frequency was very noisy and barely readable. Ground control still had the stuck microphone and no contact was made. We wrote up the radios in the maintenance log and grounded the airplane. We called ATC on landline and they said they were having all kinds of trouble with the radios. The airlines jet also landed without any communications. They also said they heard a few of our xmissions, however they were garbled and they said they knew we were coming and they had no problems with the landing. They were very busy trying to fix the problems and couldn't talk any longer. We filed the appropriate paperwork with the company and went home.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER HAS RADIO PROBLEM ON APCH, LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT JFK-ALB LOST COM WITH ATC ON APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ALBANY APCH CTL AND GIVEN A DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. UPON REACHING 3000 FT WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AT APPROX 7-8 MI SSW OF THE FIELD. APCH CTL HAD GIVEN US DELAY VECTORS EARLIER FOR AN AIRLINES FLT THAT WAS ON APCH AND LOST ALL COMS WITH ATC. WHEN WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT, ATC ADVISED THAT THE ACR FLT WAS NOT ON 1/2 MI FINAL AND WAS NO FACTOR. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2 STRAIGHT IN. WE STARTED A DSCNT OUT OF 3000 FT TO BEGIN THE APCH. WE THEN BEGAN TO HEAR SCREECHING AND SQUEALING ON THE RADIOS. WE TRIED TO CONTACT APCH BUT DID NOT GET A REPLY. WE WERE NOW CLOSE IN ON THE APCH SO WE SWITCHED OVER TO TWR TO CHK IN AND TELL THEM ABOUT APCH FREQ PROBLEMS. WE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM ON TWR FREQ. WE TRIED SEVERAL FREQS, INCLUDING GND BUT COULD STILL NOT REACH ANYONE. SINCE WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, IT WAS PAST OUR ARR TIME, AND THE RWY WAS CLR WE EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE CLRED THE RWY AND AGAIN TRIED TO REACH ATC ON GND. THE SQUEALING ON THE RADIO NOW SWITCHED TO SOMEONE WITH A 'HOT' MIKE. WE CONTACTED TWR ON 119.5 AND FINALLY GOT SOMEONE. ALL THEY SAID WAS TAXI TO THE GATE. UPON SHUTDOWN WE TESTED THE RADIOS. WE WERE ABLE TO REACH COMPANY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS HOWEVER TWR FREQ WAS VERY NOISY AND BARELY READABLE. GND CTL STILL HAD THE STUCK MIKE AND NO CONTACT WAS MADE. WE WROTE UP THE RADIOS IN THE MAINT LOG AND GNDED THE AIRPLANE. WE CALLED ATC ON LANDLINE AND THEY SAID THEY WERE HAVING ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE WITH THE RADIOS. THE AIRLINES JET ALSO LANDED WITHOUT ANY COMS. THEY ALSO SAID THEY HEARD A FEW OF OUR XMISSIONS, HOWEVER THEY WERE GARBLED AND THEY SAID THEY KNEW WE WERE COMING AND THEY HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE LNDG. THEY WERE VERY BUSY TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS AND COULDN'T TALK ANY LONGER. WE FILED THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK WITH THE COMPANY AND WENT HOME.

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.