Narrative:

On approach to atl runway 26R, flight X when we contacted tower over the OM, we were told to slow to our minimum approach speed because of traffic ahead of us. We had already begun slowly because TCASII showed us to be approximately 2 1/2 mi behind the traffic. We were not cleared to land at this time. I did not request clearance to land until the traffic ahead began to exit the runway. Just as I was about to ask for landing clearance, the controller began talking. He was issuing takeoff instructions to another aircraft on runway 26L, and then he began a long spiel about wind shear alerts and reported airspeed fluctuations by other aircraft. When he stopped talking, I requested landing clearance. There was no response and no time to ask again, so I instructed the first officer to go around. When I reported 'going around' the tower controller said he had cleared us to land -- which he had not. He then told us to climb to 5000 ft and contact departure. I had to request he give us the frequency, which he did. We contacted departure and were given a heading. Climbing through 4600 ft, the controller told us that we had been given 4000 ft. We descended back to 4000 ft. The first officer and I do not recall ever being given 4000 ft. The tower controller was so busy giving wind shear advisories that he forgot to clear us to land. He did the same thing to another flight that was trying to land behind us on our subsequent landing. I believe he either gave the wrong initial altitude during our go around or that the departure controller believed we were initially given 4000 ft. We were quite busy during the go around and if the departure controller amended our altitude to 4000 ft, we missed it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ CONGESTION AND TWR WORKLOAD CAUSED ACFT GAR BECAUSE OF NO LNDG CLRNC. TWR ASSIGNED ALT AND FREQ CHANGE. ALT ASSIGNED WAS QUESTIONABLE, BUT NEXT CTLR CORRECTED OVERSHOOT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO ATL RWY 26R, FLT X WHEN WE CONTACTED TWR OVER THE OM, WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW TO OUR MINIMUM APCH SPD BECAUSE OF TFC AHEAD OF US. WE HAD ALREADY BEGUN SLOWLY BECAUSE TCASII SHOWED US TO BE APPROX 2 1/2 MI BEHIND THE TFC. WE WERE NOT CLRED TO LAND AT THIS TIME. I DID NOT REQUEST CLRNC TO LAND UNTIL THE TFC AHEAD BEGAN TO EXIT THE RWY. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO ASK FOR LNDG CLRNC, THE CTLR BEGAN TALKING. HE WAS ISSUING TKOF INSTRUCTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT ON RWY 26L, AND THEN HE BEGAN A LONG SPIEL ABOUT WIND SHEAR ALERTS AND RPTED AIRSPD FLUCTUATIONS BY OTHER ACFT. WHEN HE STOPPED TALKING, I REQUESTED LNDG CLRNC. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND NO TIME TO ASK AGAIN, SO I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO GAR. WHEN I RPTED 'GOING AROUND' THE TWR CTLR SAID HE HAD CLRED US TO LAND -- WHICH HE HAD NOT. HE THEN TOLD US TO CLB TO 5000 FT AND CONTACT DEP. I HAD TO REQUEST HE GIVE US THE FREQ, WHICH HE DID. WE CONTACTED DEP AND WERE GIVEN A HDG. CLBING THROUGH 4600 FT, THE CTLR TOLD US THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN 4000 FT. WE DSNDED BACK TO 4000 FT. THE FO AND I DO NOT RECALL EVER BEING GIVEN 4000 FT. THE TWR CTLR WAS SO BUSY GIVING WIND SHEAR ADVISORIES THAT HE FORGOT TO CLR US TO LAND. HE DID THE SAME THING TO ANOTHER FLT THAT WAS TRYING TO LAND BEHIND US ON OUR SUBSEQUENT LNDG. I BELIEVE HE EITHER GAVE THE WRONG INITIAL ALT DURING OUR GAR OR THAT THE DEP CTLR BELIEVED WE WERE INITIALLY GIVEN 4000 FT. WE WERE QUITE BUSY DURING THE GAR AND IF THE DEP CTLR AMENDED OUR ALT TO 4000 FT, WE MISSED IT.

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.