A DCH8 lands at mdt, PA, without clearance to land. Flight crew attention is diverted during the vis...

Attributes
ACN	371948
Time
Date	199706
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 2850
ASRS Report	371948
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6100 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	371670
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera 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

Narrative:

We were at 4000 ft MSL when approach asked us if we had an air carrier B737 in sight. We called it in sight. Harrisburg then cleared us for a visual approach, but failed to turn us over to mdt tower. Due to the altitude and the closeness to the airport, we had a high workload to get the aircraft configured and in a position to land. After landing and taxiing clear of the runway, we noticed we had never been turned over to tower. We then switched to tower frequency and asked if we should taxi to the ramp with him. Tower told us to contact ground. We did and were cleared to the ramp. Both the captain and first officer had worked 10 1/2 hours the day before and were on reduced rest. We had been working since XA15 and were on our last leg of the trip. Due to the reduced rest, both captain and first officer were fatigued and this may have contributed to us failing to realize we were not turned over to tower and not cleared to land. Mdt airport also has runway construction with about a 3000 ft displaced threshold, which added another thing to consider during an already high workload time. No other aircraft or conflict happened and no problems happened due to this error. Supplemental information from acn 371670: the captain taxied the aircraft off the runway onto a taxiway when I realized that I was still on approach frequency -- just after I had asked, 'stay with you to the gate?' the approach controller replied, 'contact ground on 121.70.' nothing else was said to the approach controller and I contacted ground on 121.70. Some contributing factors are the following: fatigue -- 1) reduced rest overnight. 2) extremely warm temperature in the cockpit. Approach controller forgetting to hand us over to the tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DCH8 LANDS AT MDT, PA, WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND. FLC ATTN IS DIVERTED DURING THE VISUAL APCH DUE TO THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF THE FLC DURING DSCNT AND FATIGUE FACTOR.

Narrative: WE WERE AT 4000 FT MSL WHEN APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD AN ACR B737 IN SIGHT. WE CALLED IT IN SIGHT. HARRISBURG THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH, BUT FAILED TO TURN US OVER TO MDT TWR. DUE TO THE ALT AND THE CLOSENESS TO THE ARPT, WE HAD A HIGH WORKLOAD TO GET THE ACFT CONFIGURED AND IN A POS TO LAND. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY, WE NOTICED WE HAD NEVER BEEN TURNED OVER TO TWR. WE THEN SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND ASKED IF WE SHOULD TAXI TO THE RAMP WITH HIM. TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT GND. WE DID AND WERE CLRED TO THE RAMP. BOTH THE CAPT AND FO HAD WORKED 10 1/2 HRS THE DAY BEFORE AND WERE ON REDUCED REST. WE HAD BEEN WORKING SINCE XA15 AND WERE ON OUR LAST LEG OF THE TRIP. DUE TO THE REDUCED REST, BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE FATIGUED AND THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO US FAILING TO REALIZE WE WERE NOT TURNED OVER TO TWR AND NOT CLRED TO LAND. MDT ARPT ALSO HAS RWY CONSTRUCTION WITH ABOUT A 3000 FT DISPLACED THRESHOLD, WHICH ADDED ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER DURING AN ALREADY HIGH WORKLOAD TIME. NO OTHER ACFT OR CONFLICT HAPPENED AND NO PROBS HAPPENED DUE TO THIS ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371670: THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT OFF THE RWY ONTO A TXWY WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS STILL ON APCH FREQ -- JUST AFTER I HAD ASKED, 'STAY WITH YOU TO THE GATE?' THE APCH CTLR REPLIED, 'CONTACT GND ON 121.70.' NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID TO THE APCH CTLR AND I CONTACTED GND ON 121.70. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE FOLLOWING: FATIGUE -- 1) REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT. 2) EXTREMELY WARM TEMP IN THE COCKPIT. APCH CTLR FORGETTING TO HAND US OVER TO THE TWR.

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.

A DCH8 lands at mdt, PA, without clearance to land. Flight crew attention is diverted during the visual approach due to the high workload of the flight crew during descent and fatigue factor.