Narrative:

This captain is not absolutely sure we received a landing clearance. Upon polling the other crew members, they believe we did receive a landing clearance. There were so many distrs, coupled with extreme fatigue, that I cannot be sure. I have approached my company to request that they include a challenge/response of 'landing clearance' in the before landing checklist. After reaching the hotel, I called the tower and spoke to a supervisor that was not on duty at the time of my arrival and was unaware of what had happened. From this conversation I discovered that the runway 9R controller position in the tower is also responsible for all taxiway movements south of runway 9L. I also discovered that the phl ground radar was rendered inoperative about 6 months ago and is not expected to be operational for another 2 yrs. This explains why the tower was so involved with determining the position of the 2 arriving flts ahead of me. He was responsible for their separation and yet he had to depend on their accurate assessment of their position in that he had no ground radar. When the heavy transport stated that he was unsure of his position and spoke in a heavy foreign accent, it only complicated the matter.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A WDB ACR ACFT FAILED TO GET LNDG CLRNC DUE TO THE TWR DISCUSSION WITH THE PRECEDING LNDG ACFT'S LOCATION AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: THIS CAPT IS NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE WE RECEIVED A LNDG CLRNC. UPON POLLING THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS, THEY BELIEVE WE DID RECEIVE A LNDG CLRNC. THERE WERE SO MANY DISTRS, COUPLED WITH EXTREME FATIGUE, THAT I CANNOT BE SURE. I HAVE APCHED MY COMPANY TO REQUEST THAT THEY INCLUDE A CHALLENGE/RESPONSE OF 'LNDG CLRNC' IN THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. AFTER REACHING THE HOTEL, I CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR THAT WAS NOT ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF MY ARR AND WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. FROM THIS CONVERSATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE RWY 9R CTLR POS IN THE TWR IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL TXWY MOVEMENTS S OF RWY 9L. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE PHL GND RADAR WAS RENDERED INOP ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL FOR ANOTHER 2 YRS. THIS EXPLAINS WHY THE TWR WAS SO INVOLVED WITH DETERMINING THE POS OF THE 2 ARRIVING FLTS AHEAD OF ME. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SEPARATION AND YET HE HAD TO DEPEND ON THEIR ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR POS IN THAT HE HAD NO GND RADAR. WHEN THE HVT STATED THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POS AND SPOKE IN A HVY FOREIGN ACCENT, IT ONLY COMPLICATED THE MATTER.

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.