Clearance landing not received by atx flight crew after an all night operation. Split position opera...

Attributes
ACN	355990
Time
Date	199612
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lbb
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lbb tower : den
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 109 flight time total : 403 flight time type : 109
ASRS Report	355990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

My captain and I were approaching lbb in our metropolitan III and we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 26 as usual. Approach never handed us off and we landed without being cleared to land. This was our fourth leg that night. It is a common practice for lbb approach to issue this clearance, 'cleared for the visual runway 26, cleared to land,' when we are still 30 or so mi out. After such a clearance, we do not receive a frequency change to tower. On that fourth leg, we were so accustomed to being cleared to land 30 mi out, that when we were never handed off, we didn't think much of it and it didn't even occur to us that we were never cleared to land. The actual clearance that time was 'cleared for the visual approach to runway 26.' we found out that we were never given a landing clearance until after we landed, and saw that we were still on approach frequency. One corrective action would be for our company to implement a final check containing these items: 1) 3 green, 2) full flaps, 3) cleared to land, 4) runway clear. Another corrective action would be for lbb to stop giving landing clrncs that far out, no matter how quiet it is, and to give a frequency change to tower for every aircraft -- even if it is the same controller working local approach and departure control. I feel these measures will eliminate a lot of complacency for aircrews and controllers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC LNDG NOT RECEIVED BY ATX FLC AFTER AN ALL NIGHT OP. SPLIT POS OP CITED ALONG WITH CLRNC EXPECTED AND APCH CTLR TECHNIQUE ATC COM.

Narrative: MY CAPT AND I WERE APCHING LBB IN OUR METRO III AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26 AS USUAL. APCH NEVER HANDED US OFF AND WE LANDED WITHOUT BEING CLRED TO LAND. THIS WAS OUR FOURTH LEG THAT NIGHT. IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE FOR LBB APCH TO ISSUE THIS CLRNC, 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL RWY 26, CLRED TO LAND,' WHEN WE ARE STILL 30 OR SO MI OUT. AFTER SUCH A CLRNC, WE DO NOT RECEIVE A FREQ CHANGE TO TWR. ON THAT FOURTH LEG, WE WERE SO ACCUSTOMED TO BEING CLRED TO LAND 30 MI OUT, THAT WHEN WE WERE NEVER HANDED OFF, WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AND IT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR TO US THAT WE WERE NEVER CLRED TO LAND. THE ACTUAL CLRNC THAT TIME WAS 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26.' WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A LNDG CLRNC UNTIL AFTER WE LANDED, AND SAW THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ. ONE CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE FOR OUR COMPANY TO IMPLEMENT A FINAL CHK CONTAINING THESE ITEMS: 1) 3 GREEN, 2) FULL FLAPS, 3) CLRED TO LAND, 4) RWY CLR. ANOTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE FOR LBB TO STOP GIVING LNDG CLRNCS THAT FAR OUT, NO MATTER HOW QUIET IT IS, AND TO GIVE A FREQ CHANGE TO TWR FOR EVERY ACFT -- EVEN IF IT IS THE SAME CTLR WORKING LCL APCH AND DEP CTL. I FEEL THESE MEASURES WILL ELIMINATE A LOT OF COMPLACENCY FOR AIRCREWS AND CTLRS.

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.

Clearance landing not received by atx flight crew after an all night operation. Split position operation cited along with clearance expected and approach controller technique ATC communication.