Beechcraft king air 300 pilots failed to contact tower and obtain landing clearance.

Attributes
ACN	335920
Time
Date	199605
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Super King Air 300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	335920
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After establishing aircraft on ILS for runway 5R at indy, failed to contact tower at final approach fix. PNF was on unicom prior to FAF which was a bad idea in hindsight because it led me to the belief that communications were being handled, however, my situational awareness was low due to this being the third approach to low minimums in the last 1 1/2 hours, and my concentration on the very low approach we were presently conducting. However, this is a very weak excuse for pilots of our experience. I will say that after flying the majority of my career single pilot, which landing without a clearance never happened, 2 pilots in a crew lead to the dependence that the other has taken care of things, such as landing clrncs or reporting base legs to towers, etc. One other possible contributing factor is that when the final controller clears you for an approach when the WX is so bad your thinking alternates on missed approach, you know the tower can't even see you when you land, the phrase 'cleared for the approach' gives a mindset that it's your show and you're cleared all the way to the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 300 PLTS FAILED TO CONTACT TWR AND OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER ESTABLISHING ACFT ON ILS FOR RWY 5R AT INDY, FAILED TO CONTACT TWR AT FINAL APCH FIX. PNF WAS ON UNICOM PRIOR TO FAF WHICH WAS A BAD IDEA IN HINDSIGHT BECAUSE IT LED ME TO THE BELIEF THAT COMS WERE BEING HANDLED, HOWEVER, MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS LOW DUE TO THIS BEING THE THIRD APCH TO LOW MINIMUMS IN THE LAST 1 1/2 HRS, AND MY CONCENTRATION ON THE VERY LOW APCH WE WERE PRESENTLY CONDUCTING. HOWEVER, THIS IS A VERY WEAK EXCUSE FOR PLTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE. I WILL SAY THAT AFTER FLYING THE MAJORITY OF MY CAREER SINGLE PLT, WHICH LNDG WITHOUT A CLRNC NEVER HAPPENED, 2 PLTS IN A CREW LEAD TO THE DEPENDENCE THAT THE OTHER HAS TAKEN CARE OF THINGS, SUCH AS LNDG CLRNCS OR RPTING BASE LEGS TO TWRS, ETC. ONE OTHER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT WHEN THE FINAL CTLR CLRS YOU FOR AN APCH WHEN THE WX IS SO BAD YOUR THINKING ALTERNATES ON MISSED APCH, YOU KNOW THE TWR CAN'T EVEN SEE YOU WHEN YOU LAND, THE PHRASE 'CLRED FOR THE APCH' GIVES A MINDSET THAT IT'S YOUR SHOW AND YOU'RE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO THE GND.

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.