Landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	310550
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grr
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : grr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 275 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	310550
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance 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:

The approach controller gave me vectors to intercept the localizer for runway 26L at grr. I had the tower frequency on standby, waiting for the handoff. After clearing me for the approach and giving her final instructions, there was still no handoff from the approach controller, so I continued. I was in and out of low clouds and was searching for the runway through a good bit of haze on this, my 4TH or 5TH instrument approach in actual conditions. I spotted the runway from about 2 1/2 - 3 mi out, made my final checks, and landed. I thought it odd at first, that I didn't hear instructions for turning off of the runway, so I turned at a prominent-looking intersection. Upon reaching to dial up the ground control frequency, I realized that I was never on the tower frequency, and thus was never cleared to land. I called ground and sheepishly asked for taxi clearance to the FBO. The controller sounded as though the request caught her off guard, and actually apologized for not realizing I was there. She cleared me to taxi, and that was the last I heard from ATC. At the time of this incident, there were no other aircraft on or near the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative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

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.