Unauthorized landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	293950
Time
Date	199501
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 14100
ASRS Report	293950
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	294356
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach control gave us vectors to visual approach to runway 26R atl. On base to final we were instructed to follow MD88 visually to runway 26R. We used electronic GS to give us proper descent as well as flying slightly above GS to avoid wake turbulence. After completing the landing checklist just outside cegro, I looked again for the MD88, but lost him in the ground clutter. We kept our distance on him via TCASII. At cegro I began giving altitude callouts to the first officer, but forgot to switch to tower frequency and landed without acknowledging atl and tower's clearance for us to land. I was distracted giving landing announcement to passenger and flight attendants, doing the landing checklist, starting APU and altitude callouts. Simply forgot to switch to tower. Spoke with atl tower by telephone. They said they had tried calling us with clearance to land runway 26R. Supplemental information from acn 294356: flying slightly above GS to avoid wake turbulence (MD88 4 mi ahead).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: APCH CTL GAVE US VECTORS TO VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R ATL. ON BASE TO FINAL WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW MD88 VISUALLY TO RWY 26R. WE USED ELECTRONIC GS TO GIVE US PROPER DSCNT AS WELL AS FLYING SLIGHTLY ABOVE GS TO AVOID WAKE TURB. AFTER COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST JUST OUTSIDE CEGRO, I LOOKED AGAIN FOR THE MD88, BUT LOST HIM IN THE GND CLUTTER. WE KEPT OUR DISTANCE ON HIM VIA TCASII. AT CEGRO I BEGAN GIVING ALT CALLOUTS TO THE FO, BUT FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ AND LANDED WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING ATL AND TWR'S CLRNC FOR US TO LAND. I WAS DISTRACTED GIVING LNDG ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS, DOING THE LNDG CHKLIST, STARTING APU AND ALT CALLOUTS. SIMPLY FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR. SPOKE WITH ATL TWR BY TELEPHONE. THEY SAID THEY HAD TRIED CALLING US WITH CLRNC TO LAND RWY 26R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294356: FLYING SLIGHTLY ABOVE GS TO AVOID WAKE TURB (MD88 4 MI AHEAD).

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.