Narrative:

Situation: making an instrument approach to runway 1L at mci at approximately XA10 on feb/xx/95. Controller was handling more than 1 aircraft and initially took us through the radial and we were brought back for reintercept after we brought this to his attention. First officer was flying the aircraft and was a bit behind on altitude and airspeed once we acquired the localizer. There was continuous dialogue between the controller, first officer, and myself as we made the approach and, at one point, the autoplt kicked off and was re-engaged. We did not hear a shift of frequency to tower for landing, but thought we were cleared to land from the approach controller. Prior to minimums, we had the airport in sight and asked if we should be on tower frequency. We didn't hear an answer so I shifted to tower frequency. As we were touching down, established rapid contact with tower during rollout due to the communication load at crucial points in the approach. I, in retrospect, am not sure whether I got the appropriate clearance to land. Although throughout the final visual stage of the landing approach I could see that the entire length of the runway was clear. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a line check airman on the B-737-200 and -300 for a major united states air carrier. The first officer was new to the aircraft, but this was not his first trip on the aircraft. It was the first time that the reporter and the first officer had flown together. The reporter flies to many airports that combine the approach control function with the tower and therefore land on approach control's frequency. In this case, the reporter does not know whether he had been cleared to land or whether he was expected to land on approach control's frequency. Approach control had given a poor intercept vector and the first officer was behind the aircraft. It was night and there was WX requiring a coupled approach. There was no response when the reporter asked, at the last min, if he 'was cleared to land on this frequency.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MAY HAVE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: SIT: MAKING AN INST APCH TO RWY 1L AT MCI AT APPROX XA10 ON FEB/XX/95. CTLR WAS HANDLING MORE THAN 1 ACFT AND INITIALLY TOOK US THROUGH THE RADIAL AND WE WERE BROUGHT BACK FOR REINTERCEPT AFTER WE BROUGHT THIS TO HIS ATTN. FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WAS A BIT BEHIND ON ALT AND AIRSPD ONCE WE ACQUIRED THE LOC. THERE WAS CONTINUOUS DIALOGUE BTWN THE CTLR, FO, AND MYSELF AS WE MADE THE APCH AND, AT ONE POINT, THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF AND WAS RE-ENGAGED. WE DID NOT HEAR A SHIFT OF FREQ TO TWR FOR LNDG, BUT THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND FROM THE APCH CTLR. PRIOR TO MINIMUMS, WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND ASKED IF WE SHOULD BE ON TWR FREQ. WE DIDN'T HEAR AN ANSWER SO I SHIFTED TO TWR FREQ. AS WE WERE TOUCHING DOWN, ESTABLISHED RAPID CONTACT WITH TWR DURING ROLLOUT DUE TO THE COM LOAD AT CRUCIAL POINTS IN THE APCH. I, IN RETROSPECT, AM NOT SURE WHETHER I GOT THE APPROPRIATE CLRNC TO LAND. ALTHOUGH THROUGHOUT THE FINAL VISUAL STAGE OF THE LNDG APCH I COULD SEE THAT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RWY WAS CLR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A LINE CHK AIRMAN ON THE B-737-200 AND -300 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. THE FO WAS NEW TO THE ACFT, BUT THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST TRIP ON THE ACFT. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE RPTR AND THE FO HAD FLOWN TOGETHER. THE RPTR FLIES TO MANY ARPTS THAT COMBINE THE APCH CTL FUNCTION WITH THE TWR AND THEREFORE LAND ON APCH CTL'S FREQ. IN THIS CASE, THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND OR WHETHER HE WAS EXPECTED TO LAND ON APCH CTL'S FREQ. APCH CTL HAD GIVEN A POOR INTERCEPT VECTOR AND THE FO WAS BEHIND THE ACFT. IT WAS NIGHT AND THERE WAS WX REQUIRING A COUPLED APCH. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE WHEN THE RPTR ASKED, AT THE LAST MIN, IF HE 'WAS CLRED TO LAND ON THIS FREQ.'

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.