Unauthorized landing landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	296275
Time
Date	199502
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tower : dfw artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
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 last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	296275
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on a close left base for runway 17L at dfw. Approach control advised us to look for and follow an md-80 to runway 17L. We sighted the md-80 and the controller cleared us for a visual approach. We were busy configuring the aircraft for landing and maintaining visual separation on the md-80. The controller was busy and never handed us off to tower frequency. Neither of us noticed this 'non handoff' from ATC. We cleared the runway at the high speed. I looked at the radio and saw we were still on approach frequency. I changed to tower and the controller was calling us. He asked us where we had been and I said I thought we had hit the radio button and been on the wrong frequency. At the time, I thought we actually had been handed off to tower and that I had forgotten to switch over. Later we realized we had simply never been handed off to tower. The tower controller cleared us to cross runway 17R and contact ground control. The captain and I felt the reason we did not catch this error is because we had been on a continuous duty overnight and had slept maybe 4 hours. We were not as alert as we would have been had we slept all night. I feel reduced rest and continuous duty overnights should be eliminated to prevent these types of events.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A CLOSE L BASE FOR RWY 17L AT DFW. APCH CTL ADVISED US TO LOOK FOR AND FOLLOW AN MD-80 TO RWY 17L. WE SIGHTED THE MD-80 AND THE CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE WERE BUSY CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION ON THE MD-80. THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND NEVER HANDED US OFF TO TWR FREQ. NEITHER OF US NOTICED THIS 'NON HDOF' FROM ATC. WE CLRED THE RWY AT THE HIGH SPD. I LOOKED AT THE RADIO AND SAW WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ. I CHANGED TO TWR AND THE CTLR WAS CALLING US. HE ASKED US WHERE WE HAD BEEN AND I SAID I THOUGHT WE HAD HIT THE RADIO BUTTON AND BEEN ON THE WRONG FREQ. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT WE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO TWR AND THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO SWITCH OVER. LATER WE REALIZED WE HAD SIMPLY NEVER BEEN HANDED OFF TO TWR. THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 17R AND CONTACT GND CTL. THE CAPT AND I FELT THE REASON WE DID NOT CATCH THIS ERROR IS BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN ON A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT AND HAD SLEPT MAYBE 4 HRS. WE WERE NOT AS ALERT AS WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD WE SLEPT ALL NIGHT. I FEEL REDUCED REST AND CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED TO PREVENT THESE TYPES OF EVENTS.

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.