Narrative:

The flight was a relatively short one from ilm to clt. In the cockpit was the captain, myself, and a captain who was commuting to work in the jumpseat. The captain I was working with knew the commuting captain and they were engaged in conversation most of the flight. Final approach was fairly lengthy and we were turned on to about a 17 mi final on a visual approach behind a company aircraft we had visually. The airport was also in sight and we were talking to approach on 127.7. The approach had continuous light turbulence with occasional moderate turbulence (a typical summer type day). While on the approach the captain was explaining some features of our EFIS displays to the commuting captain. We completed all checklists as per procedure and watched our traffic clear the runway and an aircraft depart the crossing runway. At about 100 ft the captain suddenly switched the radio frequency and tried to call tower for a landing clearance. The frequency was congested and we were unable to get a response from the tower (118.1). At approximately 25 ft AGL I started to level out and asked if we should go around. The captain said no, go ahead and land. There was no conflicting traffic and we landed. The whole time the captain was trying to talk to the tower, they thought we were on the ramp and as we rolled out they said we had them 'confused.' the captain asked if we could clear at the end. The tower replied yes and cleared us to contact ground. No other exchanges transpired about what happened and ground control cleared us in without comment. This is one of those sits where one can really kick oneself after it happens. In this particular case, had a sterile cockpit been maintained as required below 10000 ft, this would not have happened. Also, because of the extra cockpit conversation I was tuning out probably too much of the cockpit chatter. Also, I normally have certain memory jogs to verify we were cleared to land. For some reason I was distracted and did not use them. I have added a new one, when landing flaps are selected my callout will be 'flaps 42 are we cleared to land?' radio communications are the PNF's task, but should not be his sole responsibility, that's why we are both there and I will double my efforts to listen up. Also, in retrospect, if I had immediately executed a missed approach, I wouldn't be writing this report and you can be darn well sure the next time around we would have gotten clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG. LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A RELATIVELY SHORT ONE FROM ILM TO CLT. IN THE COCKPIT WAS THE CAPT, MYSELF, AND A CAPT WHO WAS COMMUTING TO WORK IN THE JUMPSEAT. THE CAPT I WAS WORKING WITH KNEW THE COMMUTING CAPT AND THEY WERE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION MOST OF THE FLT. FINAL APCH WAS FAIRLY LENGTHY AND WE WERE TURNED ON TO ABOUT A 17 MI FINAL ON A VISUAL APCH BEHIND A COMPANY ACFT WE HAD VISUALLY. THE ARPT WAS ALSO IN SIGHT AND WE WERE TALKING TO APCH ON 127.7. THE APCH HAD CONTINUOUS LIGHT TURB WITH OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB (A TYPICAL SUMMER TYPE DAY). WHILE ON THE APCH THE CAPT WAS EXPLAINING SOME FEATURES OF OUR EFIS DISPLAYS TO THE COMMUTING CAPT. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AS PER PROC AND WATCHED OUR TFC CLR THE RWY AND AN ACFT DEPART THE XING RWY. AT ABOUT 100 FT THE CAPT SUDDENLY SWITCHED THE RADIO FREQ AND TRIED TO CALL TWR FOR A LNDG CLRNC. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THE TWR (118.1). AT APPROX 25 FT AGL I STARTED TO LEVEL OUT AND ASKED IF WE SHOULD GAR. THE CAPT SAID NO, GO AHEAD AND LAND. THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC AND WE LANDED. THE WHOLE TIME THE CAPT WAS TRYING TO TALK TO THE TWR, THEY THOUGHT WE WERE ON THE RAMP AND AS WE ROLLED OUT THEY SAID WE HAD THEM 'CONFUSED.' THE CAPT ASKED IF WE COULD CLR AT THE END. THE TWR REPLIED YES AND CLRED US TO CONTACT GND. NO OTHER EXCHANGES TRANSPIRED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND GND CTL CLRED US IN WITHOUT COMMENT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITS WHERE ONE CAN REALLY KICK ONESELF AFTER IT HAPPENS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, HAD A STERILE COCKPIT BEEN MAINTAINED AS REQUIRED BELOW 10000 FT, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA COCKPIT CONVERSATION I WAS TUNING OUT PROBABLY TOO MUCH OF THE COCKPIT CHATTER. ALSO, I NORMALLY HAVE CERTAIN MEMORY JOGS TO VERIFY WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. FOR SOME REASON I WAS DISTRACTED AND DID NOT USE THEM. I HAVE ADDED A NEW ONE, WHEN LNDG FLAPS ARE SELECTED MY CALLOUT WILL BE 'FLAPS 42 ARE WE CLRED TO LAND?' RADIO COMS ARE THE PNF'S TASK, BUT SHOULD NOT BE HIS SOLE RESPONSIBILITY, THAT'S WHY WE ARE BOTH THERE AND I WILL DOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO LISTEN UP. ALSO, IN RETROSPECT, IF I HAD IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A MISSED APCH, I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THIS RPT AND YOU CAN BE DARN WELL SURE THE NEXT TIME AROUND WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN CLRNC.

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.