An air carrier medium large transport landed without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	262913
Time
Date	199401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tower : den artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	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
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	262913
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier flight from stl to den. Approximately 10 NM from den at 8000 ft (2500 AGL), we were told to look for a small commuter aircraft at 12 O'clock and 2 or 3 mi, that was on a visual to runway 26R. We sighted him and, since we had the airport in sight, we were told to keep a visual with the commuter and that we were cleared for a visual to runway 26L. It was about XF30 pm with the sun low in the west causing some glare. We intercepted the final for 26L inside the OM, so it was a relatively short time between the visual clearance from approach control and the landing. After clearing the runway, I noticed that we were still on approach frequency and that, to my knowledge, approach control had never instructed us to contact the tower. I believe that concentrating on keeping the small aircraft visually created a distraction and caused us to fail to remember to contact the tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ACR FLT FROM STL TO DEN. APPROX 10 NM FROM DEN AT 8000 FT (2500 AGL), WE WERE TOLD TO LOOK FOR A SMALL COMMUTER ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 2 OR 3 MI, THAT WAS ON A VISUAL TO RWY 26R. WE SIGHTED HIM AND, SINCE WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, WE WERE TOLD TO KEEP A VISUAL WITH THE COMMUTER AND THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 26L. IT WAS ABOUT XF30 PM WITH THE SUN LOW IN THE W CAUSING SOME GLARE. WE INTERCEPTED THE FINAL FOR 26L INSIDE THE OM, SO IT WAS A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME BTWN THE VISUAL CLRNC FROM APCH CTL AND THE LNDG. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ AND THAT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, APCH CTL HAD NEVER INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. I BELIEVE THAT CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING THE SMALL ACFT VISUALLY CREATED A DISTR AND CAUSED US TO FAIL TO REMEMBER TO CONTACT THE TWR.

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.