Medium large transport air carrier flight crew lands aircraft without clearance at bdl. Flight crew ...

Attributes
ACN	375930
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdl tracon : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	375930
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	376328
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was cleared for ILS runway 6 at bdl on aug/xx/97 at approximately PM35. ATIS was broadcasting 1 1/2 mi broken and few clouds at 800 ft. We turned final after acknowledging clearance for the approach. The lead-in lights were visible 8-10 mi out. The plane was configured in accordance with SOP and we landed uneventfully. Upon clearing runway 6, I (the first officer) asked tower if they wanted us to switch to ground frequency and heard approach come up saying we were on his frequency. I immediately realized we were not on tower frequency and we had failed to obtain clearance to land! I believe there were a few contributing factors involved. First, approach failed to hand us over to tower. Second, tower didn't attempt to contact us. Third, I failed to make the switch to tower or query approach for the switch. Fourth, with so running the checklist with his challenge, my response, we may have missed the handoff. Fifth, crew fatigue played a role. We reported at AM55 and landed at bdl PM50 (11 hours) on our third leg of the day at night. In the brief the captain stated he got up at early AM30 to commute to sfo from pdx for the trip that morning. On the second leg of the day he took a CAT nap to rest up a little. At the '1000 ft instruments crosschecked' call made by me (PNF) the captain (PF) should make a 'cleared to land' call or 'not cleared.' I, and the so, do not remember hearing that call. Supplemental information from acn 376328: I then called the tower cabin attendant from the jetway phone to question the landing clearance and was told we did have a clearance to land. This was a long day of flying from sfo to yyr to ord and on to bdl. We had thunderstorms on arrival to ord and again on departure to balance. It was a late night arrival to balance with WX reported as 1.25 mi and drizzle. I thought we had a landing clearance, but was not completely sure. Fatigue may have had an influence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACR FLC LANDS ACFT WITHOUT CLRNC AT BDL. FLC CITES FATIGUE AS A FACTOR DURING THIS LATE NIGHT ARR.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED FOR ILS RWY 6 AT BDL ON AUG/XX/97 AT APPROX PM35. ATIS WAS BROADCASTING 1 1/2 MI BROKEN AND FEW CLOUDS AT 800 FT. WE TURNED FINAL AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING CLRNC FOR THE APCH. THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE 8-10 MI OUT. THE PLANE WAS CONFIGURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOP AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. UPON CLRING RWY 6, I (THE FO) ASKED TWR IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH TO GND FREQ AND HEARD APCH COME UP SAYING WE WERE ON HIS FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WE WERE NOT ON TWR FREQ AND WE HAD FAILED TO OBTAIN CLRNC TO LAND! I BELIEVE THERE WERE A FEW CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INVOLVED. FIRST, APCH FAILED TO HAND US OVER TO TWR. SECOND, TWR DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO CONTACT US. THIRD, I FAILED TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO TWR OR QUERY APCH FOR THE SWITCH. FOURTH, WITH SO RUNNING THE CHKLIST WITH HIS CHALLENGE, MY RESPONSE, WE MAY HAVE MISSED THE HDOF. FIFTH, CREW FATIGUE PLAYED A ROLE. WE RPTED AT AM55 AND LANDED AT BDL PM50 (11 HRS) ON OUR THIRD LEG OF THE DAY AT NIGHT. IN THE BRIEF THE CAPT STATED HE GOT UP AT EARLY AM30 TO COMMUTE TO SFO FROM PDX FOR THE TRIP THAT MORNING. ON THE SECOND LEG OF THE DAY HE TOOK A CAT NAP TO REST UP A LITTLE. AT THE '1000 FT INSTS XCHKED' CALL MADE BY ME (PNF) THE CAPT (PF) SHOULD MAKE A 'CLRED TO LAND' CALL OR 'NOT CLRED.' I, AND THE SO, DO NOT REMEMBER HEARING THAT CALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 376328: I THEN CALLED THE TWR CAB FROM THE JETWAY PHONE TO QUESTION THE LNDG CLRNC AND WAS TOLD WE DID HAVE A CLRNC TO LAND. THIS WAS A LONG DAY OF FLYING FROM SFO TO YYR TO ORD AND ON TO BDL. WE HAD TSTMS ON ARR TO ORD AND AGAIN ON DEP TO BAL. IT WAS A LATE NIGHT ARR TO BAL WITH WX RPTED AS 1.25 MI AND DRIZZLE. I THOUGHT WE HAD A LNDG CLRNC, BUT WAS NOT COMPLETELY SURE. FATIGUE MAY HAVE HAD AN INFLUENCE.

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.

Medium large transport air carrier flight crew lands aircraft without clearance at bdl. Flight crew cites fatigue as a factor during this late night arrival.