Narrative:

We were with approach control and were cleared for the ILS runway 23L approach into cleveland hopkins international airport at approximately XX30. When we were cleared for the approach we were asked to contact the tower at foord intersection listed as 6.4 DME off the runway 23L localizer. At that time we were approximately 8 mi out. My estimate is that passing through 6.4 DME the captain and I were finishing up our landing checklist and neither of us realized that we had not contacted the control tower for clearance to land. I usually run through an extra checklist in my head to make sure that we get that clearance to land but I did not mention it when executing the landing checklist. For some reason, we proceeded without a doubt that we were in fact cleared to land. The subject about whether or not we got a clearance never came up. As a result, we landed the aircraft not knowing whether we were cleared to land. After landing the tower contacted us and told us to contact ground control. After calling ground, they cleared us to our gate. I believe that this is something that has probably happened before. I know that this problem can be prevented. The problems I thought were lack of communication, checklist items, air traffic controller convenience, and fatigue. My solutions are that the statement of 'are we cleared to land?' should be said every time within 5 mi of an airport with an operating control tower. Secondly 'landing clearance' could be listed on a checklist. Thirdly, I feel that the air traffic controller should not ask pilots to contact the tower at a certain point. I am almost positive that there have been cases everyday where a controller asks pilots to contact the tower at the OM, compass locator, or a fixed distance and some pilots miss the fix and contact the tower beyond that fix. The easiest way to avoid this situation is to have the controller say, 'contact the tower now on frequency XXXX.' on that morning, approach control was not very busy. Had the controller spoken to another aircraft giving it vectors for an approach, that would have given us a clue that we had not yet contacted the tower and must change frequencys. Unfortunately, once we were cleared, the frequency was quiet. I have had some controllers notify us to contact the tower now and some give a fixed point to contact the tower. I feel that the controllers use the fixed distance point to alleviate the workload so that they do not have to continuously monitor every aircraft and say, 'contact the tower now.' I think the use of having pilots contact the tower at a fixed point should be used only when the controller is heavily loaded. Finally, the crew and I were on reduced rest of 8 hours. We did get in late the previous evening. By the time I got to the hotel and fell asleep I would have only gotten a little less than 7 hours. I think fatigue played a role in making errors that day. I will from now on add the 'we are cleared to land, or we are not cleared to land' statement on every landing checklist so that it will never happen again. I hope that what I have written will bring this subject to everyone's attention and help improve the safety of aviation. Thank you.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 LANDS AT CLE, OH, WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND. FLC COULDN'T REMEMBER IF THEY HAD RECEIVED CLRNC OR NOT.

Narrative: WE WERE WITH APCH CTL AND WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 23L APCH INTO CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTL ARPT AT APPROX XX30. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH WE WERE ASKED TO CONTACT THE TWR AT FOORD INTXN LISTED AS 6.4 DME OFF THE RWY 23L LOC. AT THAT TIME WE WERE APPROX 8 MI OUT. MY ESTIMATE IS THAT PASSING THROUGH 6.4 DME THE CAPT AND I WERE FINISHING UP OUR LNDG CHKLIST AND NEITHER OF US REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT CONTACTED THE CTL TWR FOR CLRNC TO LAND. I USUALLY RUN THROUGH AN EXTRA CHKLIST IN MY HEAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT CLRNC TO LAND BUT I DID NOT MENTION IT WHEN EXECUTING THE LNDG CHKLIST. FOR SOME REASON, WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT WE WERE IN FACT CLRED TO LAND. THE SUBJECT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE GOT A CLRNC NEVER CAME UP. AS A RESULT, WE LANDED THE ACFT NOT KNOWING WHETHER WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. AFTER LNDG THE TWR CONTACTED US AND TOLD US TO CONTACT GND CTL. AFTER CALLING GND, THEY CLRED US TO OUR GATE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED BEFORE. I KNOW THAT THIS PROB CAN BE PREVENTED. THE PROBS I THOUGHT WERE LACK OF COM, CHKLIST ITEMS, AIR TFC CTLR CONVENIENCE, AND FATIGUE. MY SOLUTIONS ARE THAT THE STATEMENT OF 'ARE WE CLRED TO LAND?' SHOULD BE SAID EVERY TIME WITHIN 5 MI OF AN ARPT WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR. SECONDLY 'LNDG CLRNC' COULD BE LISTED ON A CHKLIST. THIRDLY, I FEEL THAT THE AIR TFC CTLR SHOULD NOT ASK PLTS TO CONTACT THE TWR AT A CERTAIN POINT. I AM ALMOST POSITIVE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CASES EVERYDAY WHERE A CTLR ASKS PLTS TO CONTACT THE TWR AT THE OM, COMPASS LOCATOR, OR A FIXED DISTANCE AND SOME PLTS MISS THE FIX AND CONTACT THE TWR BEYOND THAT FIX. THE EASIEST WAY TO AVOID THIS SIT IS TO HAVE THE CTLR SAY, 'CONTACT THE TWR NOW ON FREQ XXXX.' ON THAT MORNING, APCH CTL WAS NOT VERY BUSY. HAD THE CTLR SPOKEN TO ANOTHER ACFT GIVING IT VECTORS FOR AN APCH, THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A CLUE THAT WE HAD NOT YET CONTACTED THE TWR AND MUST CHANGE FREQS. UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE WE WERE CLRED, THE FREQ WAS QUIET. I HAVE HAD SOME CTLRS NOTIFY US TO CONTACT THE TWR NOW AND SOME GIVE A FIXED POINT TO CONTACT THE TWR. I FEEL THAT THE CTLRS USE THE FIXED DISTANCE POINT TO ALLEVIATE THE WORKLOAD SO THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR EVERY ACFT AND SAY, 'CONTACT THE TWR NOW.' I THINK THE USE OF HAVING PLTS CONTACT THE TWR AT A FIXED POINT SHOULD BE USED ONLY WHEN THE CTLR IS HEAVILY LOADED. FINALLY, THE CREW AND I WERE ON REDUCED REST OF 8 HRS. WE DID GET IN LATE THE PREVIOUS EVENING. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE HOTEL AND FELL ASLEEP I WOULD HAVE ONLY GOTTEN A LITTLE LESS THAN 7 HRS. I THINK FATIGUE PLAYED A ROLE IN MAKING ERRORS THAT DAY. I WILL FROM NOW ON ADD THE 'WE ARE CLRED TO LAND, OR WE ARE NOT CLRED TO LAND' STATEMENT ON EVERY LNDG CHKLIST SO THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I HOPE THAT WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN WILL BRING THIS SUBJECT TO EVERYONE'S ATTN AND HELP IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF AVIATION. THANK YOU.

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.