Commuter aircraft performs an unauthorized landing in a night operation at cvg, oh.

Attributes
ACN	352300
Time
Date	199611
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	352300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	352302
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Night visual approach to cvg during very busy time of day. Was given a visual clearance for the approach, but was never handed off to tower. During rollout on runway 18R, controller stated 'contact tower on 118.3.' first officer responded with 'we're already on the ground.' approach controller then stated 'yeah I know, tower's yelling at me to switch you over.' at which point we realized we were not talking to tower and had landed without clearance. Contributing factors: runway construction, partially closed, no navaids for guidance, therefore no specific point to contact tower at, marginal VFR, following heavy B767 (already into wake turbulence several times) my severe back strain causing pain and allowing my thoughts to drift to looking forward to getting out of the seat, proceeding direct to airport instead of an approach path, busy with checklists and configuring aircraft, neither the first officer or myself caught the failure of the controller to hand us over to tower (he was very busy too). This has happened quite often to many crews at this airport, to myself also. We have had to query the controller about switching to tower before, but this time we didn't catch it. In my own procedures I add '3 green, cleared to land' at the end of the required checklist (my memory aid is to only put ground control frequency in stand by when I have landing clearance). Since I was flying, this phrase was not uttered by myself and went unnoticed. In all future flts, I will confirm landing clearance with my memory aid for all lndgs, as it has allowed me to catch several errors in the past. Supplemental information from acn 352302: approach responded that tower had 'yelled at him for not turning us over to tower.' however, cincinnati approach has a real problem with their failure to switch flts over to tower near the end of the approach phase. Several times each day flts must ask to a be switched to tower, or they go over on their own. This very common occurrence on approach control's part needs to be corrected before an accident does take place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT PERFORMS AN UNAUTH LNDG IN A NIGHT OP AT CVG, OH.

Narrative: NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO CVG DURING VERY BUSY TIME OF DAY. WAS GIVEN A VISUAL CLRNC FOR THE APCH, BUT WAS NEVER HANDED OFF TO TWR. DURING ROLLOUT ON RWY 18R, CTLR STATED 'CONTACT TWR ON 118.3.' FO RESPONDED WITH 'WE'RE ALREADY ON THE GND.' APCH CTLR THEN STATED 'YEAH I KNOW, TWR'S YELLING AT ME TO SWITCH YOU OVER.' AT WHICH POINT WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT TALKING TO TWR AND HAD LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RWY CONSTRUCTION, PARTIALLY CLOSED, NO NAVAIDS FOR GUIDANCE, THEREFORE NO SPECIFIC POINT TO CONTACT TWR AT, MARGINAL VFR, FOLLOWING HVY B767 (ALREADY INTO WAKE TURB SEVERAL TIMES) MY SEVERE BACK STRAIN CAUSING PAIN AND ALLOWING MY THOUGHTS TO DRIFT TO LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING OUT OF THE SEAT, PROCEEDING DIRECT TO ARPT INSTEAD OF AN APCH PATH, BUSY WITH CHKLISTS AND CONFIGURING ACFT, NEITHER THE FO OR MYSELF CAUGHT THE FAILURE OF THE CTLR TO HAND US OVER TO TWR (HE WAS VERY BUSY TOO). THIS HAS HAPPENED QUITE OFTEN TO MANY CREWS AT THIS ARPT, TO MYSELF ALSO. WE HAVE HAD TO QUERY THE CTLR ABOUT SWITCHING TO TWR BEFORE, BUT THIS TIME WE DIDN'T CATCH IT. IN MY OWN PROCS I ADD '3 GREEN, CLRED TO LAND' AT THE END OF THE REQUIRED CHKLIST (MY MEMORY AID IS TO ONLY PUT GND CTL FREQ IN STAND BY WHEN I HAVE LNDG CLRNC). SINCE I WAS FLYING, THIS PHRASE WAS NOT UTTERED BY MYSELF AND WENT UNNOTICED. IN ALL FUTURE FLTS, I WILL CONFIRM LNDG CLRNC WITH MY MEMORY AID FOR ALL LNDGS, AS IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO CATCH SEVERAL ERRORS IN THE PAST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 352302: APCH RESPONDED THAT TWR HAD 'YELLED AT HIM FOR NOT TURNING US OVER TO TWR.' HOWEVER, CINCINNATI APCH HAS A REAL PROB WITH THEIR FAILURE TO SWITCH FLTS OVER TO TWR NEAR THE END OF THE APCH PHASE. SEVERAL TIMES EACH DAY FLTS MUST ASK TO A BE SWITCHED TO TWR, OR THEY GO OVER ON THEIR OWN. THIS VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE ON APCH CTL'S PART NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE AN ACCIDENT DOES TAKE PLACE.

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.