Flight crew landed without obtaining landing clearance or contacting tower.

Attributes
ACN	323720
Time
Date	199512
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 58 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 4350
ASRS Report	323720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

No radio handoff from approach control to tower. Advised by tower when turning off runway that we had landed without a clearance. We were being vectored by approach control for a VFR final and received a late clearance for descent to approach altitude (5000 ft) with a close turn-in to final. After breaking out of the WX at about 6000 ft, the PF was distracted from normal approach procedures due to requirement to correct for high close- in pattern. The PNF was distracted from radio duties to read checklist procedures and monitor airspeed and altitude. While these distrs did interfere with normal radio procedures they are not an excuse for landing without a clearance. However, I feel that a slightly larger pattern or a more timely descent clearance would not have placed the air crew in this type of situation and would have given the crew time to make pattern corrections, complete checklist procedures, and ensure a coordinated handoff to a different controling agent during the landing approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LANDED WITHOUT OBTAINING LNDG CLRNC OR CONTACTING TWR.

Narrative: NO RADIO HDOF FROM APCH CTL TO TWR. ADVISED BY TWR WHEN TURNING OFF RWY THAT WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH CTL FOR A VFR FINAL AND RECEIVED A LATE CLRNC FOR DSCNT TO APCH ALT (5000 FT) WITH A CLOSE TURN-IN TO FINAL. AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE WX AT ABOUT 6000 FT, THE PF WAS DISTRACTED FROM NORMAL APCH PROCS DUE TO REQUIREMENT TO CORRECT FOR HIGH CLOSE- IN PATTERN. THE PNF WAS DISTRACTED FROM RADIO DUTIES TO READ CHKLIST PROCS AND MONITOR AIRSPD AND ALT. WHILE THESE DISTRS DID INTERFERE WITH NORMAL RADIO PROCS THEY ARE NOT AN EXCUSE FOR LNDG WITHOUT A CLRNC. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT A SLIGHTLY LARGER PATTERN OR A MORE TIMELY DSCNT CLRNC WOULD NOT HAVE PLACED THE AIR CREW IN THIS TYPE OF SIT AND WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CREW TIME TO MAKE PATTERN CORRECTIONS, COMPLETE CHKLIST PROCS, AND ENSURE A COORDINATED HDOF TO A DIFFERENT CTLING AGENT DURING THE LNDG APCH.

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.