<< >> NASA ASRS Report 376970, August 1997

Medium large transport aircraft landed without contacting tower for clearance. PF, reporter first officer, says captain was not familiar with the approach and was distracted looking at approach plates and crossing altitudes at the bridge.

Attributes
ACN	376970
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
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	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	376970
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
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

Narrative:

On arrival told to anticipate approach to runway 28L. Subsequently cleared for visual to runway 28R and maintain 4000 ft until crossing the dumbarton bridge. PNF was switching to new chart and frequency as traffic to follow was called and PF initiated descent on GS crossing dumbarton bridge. Traffic acquired visually and clearance to visual runway 28R behind traffic and to call tower at bridge (san mateo) ensued. PNF was unfamiliar with the 2 different bridge names and was concerned descent had been initiated prematurely. When chart, checklists, and proper bridge designations had been sorted out we were on final past the bridge tower call point. Normal landing but clearance had been overlooked in the approach confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR FOR CLRNC. PF, RPTR FO, SAYS CAPT WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE APCH AND WAS DISTRACTED LOOKING AT APCH PLATES AND XING ALTS AT THE BRIDGE.

Narrative: ON ARR TOLD TO ANTICIPATE APCH TO RWY 28L. SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 28R AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL XING THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE. PNF WAS SWITCHING TO NEW CHART AND FREQ AS TFC TO FOLLOW WAS CALLED AND PF INITIATED DSCNT ON GS XING DUMBARTON BRIDGE. TFC ACQUIRED VISUALLY AND CLRNC TO VISUAL RWY 28R BEHIND TFC AND TO CALL TWR AT BRIDGE (SAN MATEO) ENSUED. PNF WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE 2 DIFFERENT BRIDGE NAMES AND WAS CONCERNED DSCNT HAD BEEN INITIATED PREMATURELY. WHEN CHART, CHKLISTS, AND PROPER BRIDGE DESIGNATIONS HAD BEEN SORTED OUT WE WERE ON FINAL PAST THE BRIDGE TWR CALL POINT. NORMAL LNDG BUT CLRNC HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE APCH CONFUSION.

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.