Narrative:

At 5000 ft we were on the localizer (runway 27L) and high on the glide maintaining 190 KTS as directed by ATC. We were facing directly into the setting sun. Traffic was called for us, however, we were unable to see them due to the glare. Likewise, we were unable to see the airport for the same reason. Approach finally cleared us for the approach, releasing us from our assigned 5000 ft altitude. The first officer was flying and the captain was working the radios. When we were cleared for the approach we were also cleared to contact the tower. At this point we were very high on the glide. Since we could not see the airport due to the glare from the sun the captain began coaching the first officer about getting down as soon as possible and capturing the GS. I remember wondering if we had been cleared to land. I remembered approach control clearing us for the ILS runway 27L. I confirmed that we were lined up on the left runway and made the very poor assumption that we were cleared to land. On the landing rollout we all heard someone contact approach on the frequency we were monitoring. It was then that we all realized that we had not contacted the tower or even flipped the switch on the communication to monitor it. We immediately contacted tower, had a short conversation about the situation and were told to contact ground. Contributing factors: 1) captain and first officer were both reserves and fly rarely. 2) so just off of sick leave and had not flown in 3 weeks. 3) setting sun blinding us on approach. 4) high on glide when cleared to descend, no visibility on airport. 5) conversation in cockpit about getting down/seeing or not seeing airport and/or runway. Possible prevention: 1) so stating her mental concerns about landing clearance. 2) approach control recontacting when tower was unable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HVT LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AND WHILE STILL GUARDING APCH CTL FREQ.

Narrative: AT 5000 FT WE WERE ON THE LOC (RWY 27L) AND HIGH ON THE GLIDE MAINTAINING 190 KTS AS DIRECTED BY ATC. WE WERE FACING DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN. TFC WAS CALLED FOR US, HOWEVER, WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE THEM DUE TO THE GLARE. LIKEWISE, WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE ARPT FOR THE SAME REASON. APCH FINALLY CLRED US FOR THE APCH, RELEASING US FROM OUR ASSIGNED 5000 FT ALT. THE FO WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH WE WERE ALSO CLRED TO CONTACT THE TWR. AT THIS POINT WE WERE VERY HIGH ON THE GLIDE. SINCE WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT DUE TO THE GLARE FROM THE SUN THE CAPT BEGAN COACHING THE FO ABOUT GETTING DOWN ASAP AND CAPTURING THE GS. I REMEMBER WONDERING IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I REMEMBERED APCH CTL CLRING US FOR THE ILS RWY 27L. I CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE LINED UP ON THE L RWY AND MADE THE VERY POOR ASSUMPTION THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT WE ALL HEARD SOMEONE CONTACT APCH ON THE FREQ WE WERE MONITORING. IT WAS THEN THAT WE ALL REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT CONTACTED THE TWR OR EVEN FLIPPED THE SWITCH ON THE COM TO MONITOR IT. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TWR, HAD A SHORT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SIT AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT GND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CAPT AND FO WERE BOTH RESERVES AND FLY RARELY. 2) SO JUST OFF OF SICK LEAVE AND HAD NOT FLOWN IN 3 WKS. 3) SETTING SUN BLINDING US ON APCH. 4) HIGH ON GLIDE WHEN CLRED TO DSND, NO VISIBILITY ON ARPT. 5) CONVERSATION IN COCKPIT ABOUT GETTING DOWN/SEEING OR NOT SEEING ARPT AND/OR RWY. POSSIBLE PREVENTION: 1) SO STATING HER MENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT LNDG CLRNC. 2) APCH CTL RECONTACTING WHEN TWR WAS UNABLE.

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.