DC10 flight crew failed to receive landing clearance prior to touchdown. Approach controller frequen...

Attributes
ACN	316890
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sea tower : crq
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	316890
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 flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Our flight was handed over to seattle approach. After vectors to intercept the localizer, sea approach cleared us for the approach, ILS runway 16R. We were told to maintain 170 KTS (I believe it was) until the marker (parkk). I was the PF and it seemed to us that approach control was also handling the tower on the same frequency, as we didn't hear approach advise any traffic to switch to tower at parkk. From parkk inbound we waited for approach control to hand us off to tower or clear us to land. At approximately 2 1/2 mi out the captain attempted to contact sea approach, however, due to other traffic communications with approach, he was 'stepped on.' this was repeated a couple of times until contact was made with approach over the 'RAIL' short (very) final. Seattle approach was asked if we were cleared to land?! After a moment, approach said 'contact the tower.' at this point I had begun to flare the DC10 and the captain contacted the tower as we touched down. Tower advised us to roll to the end and cleared us to cross runway 16L, taxi to parking on this tower frequency, no comment was made. Visibility was good and we could see that the runway was clear of other aircraft (landing and departing). With ground and tower frequencys and tower and departure frequencys combined at some airports at late hours, approach and tower doesn't seem unreasonable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLC FAILED TO RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. APCH CTLR FREQ CONGESTION LED TO LATE HDOF AT CREW'S PROMPTING.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS HANDED OVER TO SEATTLE APCH. AFTER VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, SEA APCH CLRED US FOR THE APCH, ILS RWY 16R. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 170 KTS (I BELIEVE IT WAS) UNTIL THE MARKER (PARKK). I WAS THE PF AND IT SEEMED TO US THAT APCH CTL WAS ALSO HANDLING THE TWR ON THE SAME FREQ, AS WE DIDN'T HEAR APCH ADVISE ANY TFC TO SWITCH TO TWR AT PARKK. FROM PARKK INBOUND WE WAITED FOR APCH CTL TO HAND US OFF TO TWR OR CLR US TO LAND. AT APPROX 2 1/2 MI OUT THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SEA APCH, HOWEVER, DUE TO OTHER TFC COMS WITH APCH, HE WAS 'STEPPED ON.' THIS WAS REPEATED A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL CONTACT WAS MADE WITH APCH OVER THE 'RAIL' SHORT (VERY) FINAL. SEATTLE APCH WAS ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND?! AFTER A MOMENT, APCH SAID 'CONTACT THE TWR.' AT THIS POINT I HAD BEGUN TO FLARE THE DC10 AND THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR AS WE TOUCHED DOWN. TWR ADVISED US TO ROLL TO THE END AND CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 16L, TAXI TO PARKING ON THIS TWR FREQ, NO COMMENT WAS MADE. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND WE COULD SEE THAT THE RWY WAS CLR OF OTHER ACFT (LNDG AND DEPARTING). WITH GND AND TWR FREQS AND TWR AND DEP FREQS COMBINED AT SOME ARPTS AT LATE HRS, APCH AND TWR DOESN'T SEEM UNREASONABLE.

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.

DC10 flight crew failed to receive landing clearance prior to touchdown. Approach controller frequency congestion led to late handoff at crew's prompting.