Narrative:

After intercepting the localizer for runway 10L at pdx in poor WX conditions we were handed off to the tower. The tower came back and said that we were 'following a dash 7 1 1/2 mi - - continue descending.' I acknowledged 'roger.' as we continued the approach we heard no further communication from the tower. As we approached our decision ht I asked the tower to confirm that we were cleared to land. There was no reply. I asked twice more with no response from the tower. As the runway came into view we had still not received clearance from the tower. Not knowing the location of the preceding aircraft I elected to reject the landing and initiate the missed approach. As we began the miss, tower confirmed that we were in fact cleared to land. We continued with the miss and were vectored back around, for another approach. The ensuing approach and landing was uneventful. After landing I was asked to call the tower. Upon contacting the tower, the supervisor in charge stated that we had been cleared to land during the initial check-in with the tower. He said that he had pulled the tapes to verify it. Although there were 3 of us in the cockpit, not one of us heard the clearance to land, however we all heard the next statement concerning traffic. The reason the controller did not reply to our subsequent requests for verification was that he was off frequency coordinating with another aircraft. This could have been avoided, I believe, if I had read back the entire clearance and not just replied 'roger,' when the controller had given us the landing clearance followed by the TA. Instead, I focused on 'continue descending' and forgot about 'cleared to land.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT ON APCH, WX -- LOW CEILING VISIBILITY. FLC RECEIVED TFC INFO FROM TWR THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS LNDG AHEAD OF RPTR AND FLC DIDN'T HEAR LNDG CLRNC. WHEN TRYING TO CONTACT TWR TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC, TWR CTLR WAS OFF FREQ. FLC DID GAR.

Narrative: AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOC FOR RWY 10L AT PDX IN POOR WX CONDITIONS WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. THE TWR CAME BACK AND SAID THAT WE WERE 'FOLLOWING A DASH 7 1 1/2 MI - - CONTINUE DSNDING.' I ACKNOWLEDGED 'ROGER.' AS WE CONTINUED THE APCH WE HEARD NO FURTHER COM FROM THE TWR. AS WE APCHED OUR DECISION HT I ASKED THE TWR TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS NO REPLY. I ASKED TWICE MORE WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. AS THE RWY CAME INTO VIEW WE HAD STILL NOT RECEIVED CLRNC FROM THE TWR. NOT KNOWING THE LOCATION OF THE PRECEDING ACFT I ELECTED TO REJECT THE LNDG AND INITIATE THE MISSED APCH. AS WE BEGAN THE MISS, TWR CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE IN FACT CLRED TO LAND. WE CONTINUED WITH THE MISS AND WERE VECTORED BACK AROUND, FOR ANOTHER APCH. THE ENSUING APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. UPON CONTACTING THE TWR, THE SUPVR IN CHARGE STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND DURING THE INITIAL CHK-IN WITH THE TWR. HE SAID THAT HE HAD PULLED THE TAPES TO VERIFY IT. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT, NOT ONE OF US HEARD THE CLRNC TO LAND, HOWEVER WE ALL HEARD THE NEXT STATEMENT CONCERNING TFC. THE REASON THE CTLR DID NOT REPLY TO OUR SUBSEQUENT REQUESTS FOR VERIFICATION WAS THAT HE WAS OFF FREQ COORDINATING WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, I BELIEVE, IF I HAD READ BACK THE ENTIRE CLRNC AND NOT JUST REPLIED 'ROGER,' WHEN THE CTLR HAD GIVEN US THE LNDG CLRNC FOLLOWED BY THE TA. INSTEAD, I FOCUSED ON 'CONTINUE DSNDING' AND FORGOT ABOUT 'CLRED TO LAND.'

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.