Narrative:

During a visual approach to runway 9 at williamsport, PA, we almost landed without clearance to land from the tower. While still with ZNY we were cleared for a visual approach and I (the first officer) went off the #1 (ATC) radio and went on the #2 to contact the station operations to let them know we were in range. While I was off frequency, ZNY told the captain to contact the tower. When I returned to the frequency, I stated, 'back on one' which is our usual call when someone who has been off frequency returns to the #1 radio. If there are any changes, the crew member who was covering the ATC frequency usually tells you of them or if there aren't any states, 'no changes.' when I returned, the captain called for the approach checks, various confign changes, and then the before landing checks. When I completed the before landing checks I asked the captain if we were cleared to land. He didn't hear me so I asked him again, and again he didn't hear me. By now we were on approximately a 4 mi final to the runway. This time I attempted to contact the tower and asked if our flight was cleared to land. There was no reply and then the tower began to give a long clearance of some type to another aircraft. By the time we were able to get on the frequency again we were on short final and I asked again if our flight was cleared to land. There was no reply. While in the flare just feet over the runway I asked again if we were cleared to land and the tower's reply was, 'you're on the runway!' at this point the captain initiated a go around and we completed a left traffic pattern with normal communications and landed without incident. In my opinion there were several factors that led to the situation requiring this report. The fact that the captain uses a non- noise attenuating headset in a noisy aircraft such as the jetstream. The captain does not like to use the 'head crunching' noise attenuating headsets and although I had brought to his attention several times that we were having trouble communicating, he still insists on using the single ear type set. The first officer not having the call to operations completed further away from the airport. Additionally, I should have been more insistent that the captain use the noise attenuating headset since I was most aware of the radio and cockpit calls that he was missing. The tower giving a clearance over the tower frequency and the apparent lack of awareness of the tower as to our position. I would hope that ZNY communicated to williamsport tower that we were on our way in. (Lost communication comes to mind here.) however, williamsport tower was so unaware of our whereabouts that when we finally did get through, the controller seemed amazed that we were over the runway. Perhaps this was due to the controllers having multiple responsibilities, ie, IFR clearance, airport awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEAR UNAUTH LNDG, LNDG CLRNC NOT ISSUED.

Narrative: DURING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9 AT WILLIAMSPORT, PA, WE ALMOST LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE TWR. WHILE STILL WITH ZNY WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND I (THE FO) WENT OFF THE #1 (ATC) RADIO AND WENT ON THE #2 TO CONTACT THE STATION OPS TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE IN RANGE. WHILE I WAS OFF FREQ, ZNY TOLD THE CAPT TO CONTACT THE TWR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE FREQ, I STATED, 'BACK ON ONE' WHICH IS OUR USUAL CALL WHEN SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN OFF FREQ RETURNS TO THE #1 RADIO. IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES, THE CREW MEMBER WHO WAS COVERING THE ATC FREQ USUALLY TELLS YOU OF THEM OR IF THERE AREN'T ANY STATES, 'NO CHANGES.' WHEN I RETURNED, THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE APCH CHKS, VARIOUS CONFIGN CHANGES, AND THEN THE BEFORE LNDG CHKS. WHEN I COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKS I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. HE DIDN'T HEAR ME SO I ASKED HIM AGAIN, AND AGAIN HE DIDN'T HEAR ME. BY NOW WE WERE ON APPROX A 4 MI FINAL TO THE RWY. THIS TIME I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE TWR AND ASKED IF OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS NO REPLY AND THEN THE TWR BEGAN TO GIVE A LONG CLRNC OF SOME TYPE TO ANOTHER ACFT. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE FREQ AGAIN WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL AND I ASKED AGAIN IF OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS NO REPLY. WHILE IN THE FLARE JUST FEET OVER THE RWY I ASKED AGAIN IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND THE TWR'S REPLY WAS, 'YOU'RE ON THE RWY!' AT THIS POINT THE CAPT INITIATED A GAR AND WE COMPLETED A L TFC PATTERN WITH NORMAL COMS AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN MY OPINION THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT LED TO THE SIT REQUIRING THIS RPT. THE FACT THAT THE CAPT USES A NON- NOISE ATTENUATING HEADSET IN A NOISY ACFT SUCH AS THE JETSTREAM. THE CAPT DOES NOT LIKE TO USE THE 'HEAD CRUNCHING' NOISE ATTENUATING HEADSETS AND ALTHOUGH I HAD BROUGHT TO HIS ATTN SEVERAL TIMES THAT WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE COMMUNICATING, HE STILL INSISTS ON USING THE SINGLE EAR TYPE SET. THE FO NOT HAVING THE CALL TO OPS COMPLETED FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT. ADDITIONALLY, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT THAT THE CAPT USE THE NOISE ATTENUATING HEADSET SINCE I WAS MOST AWARE OF THE RADIO AND COCKPIT CALLS THAT HE WAS MISSING. THE TWR GIVING A CLRNC OVER THE TWR FREQ AND THE APPARENT LACK OF AWARENESS OF THE TWR AS TO OUR POS. I WOULD HOPE THAT ZNY COMMUNICATED TO WILLIAMSPORT TWR THAT WE WERE ON OUR WAY IN. (LOST COM COMES TO MIND HERE.) HOWEVER, WILLIAMSPORT TWR WAS SO UNAWARE OF OUR WHEREABOUTS THAT WHEN WE FINALLY DID GET THROUGH, THE CTLR SEEMED AMAZED THAT WE WERE OVER THE RWY. PERHAPS THIS WAS DUE TO THE CTLRS HAVING MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES, IE, IFR CLRNC, ARPT AWARENESS.

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.