Narrative:

Flying freight from mdw direct shv (clear customs) direct tlc, mexico (toluca), we, as a crew, had been on duty since XA45 the night before. Approximately XK45 we were flying over mexico city beginning an approach descent into toluca mexico. Because toluca is in a valley, we were instructed to only descend to 15000 ft and then cleared for the full approach. We were instructed to begin the VOR approach and intercept the ILS runway 15 approach once established inbound. Amidst the hurried approach to descend to minimum approach altitude, and maintaining the correct DME, slowing the airplane from the descent, changing from VOR approach to ILS approach and trying to understand communication between us and the heavily-accented spanish controllers, the PNF failed to get landing clearance. The captain, as PNF, was assisting me with the approach transition, checklists, and getting what little WX was afforded us (they have no WX reporting capability and could only give us visibility which at the time was 1/2 mi). To our surprise, we completed the approach and landed only to be told by the tower we never received landing clearance. The frequency had been dialed in but the PNF never initiated contact. If something of this nature had begun to occur in the united states, certainly a tower would check with the inbound aircraft to see if they were on frequency. Also, if we had been in the united states we would have had some sort of WX reporting available to us. The language barrier is also something to note. My captain and I had to constantly confirm with each other and the controllers the clrncs and instructions we received. In a foreign country where so many towns/airports are surrounded by mountainous terrain, no one can afford a misunderstanding of any magnitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FALCON 20 CARGO FLT INTO FOREIGN ARPT, HIGH WORKLOAD, DIFFICULT APCH IN IMC, LANGUAGE BARRIER, FLC FORGOT TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC. TWR CTLR ADVISED THEM AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: FLYING FREIGHT FROM MDW DIRECT SHV (CLR CUSTOMS) DIRECT TLC, MEXICO (TOLUCA), WE, AS A CREW, HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE XA45 THE NIGHT BEFORE. APPROX XK45 WE WERE FLYING OVER MEXICO CITY BEGINNING AN APCH DSCNT INTO TOLUCA MEXICO. BECAUSE TOLUCA IS IN A VALLEY, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO ONLY DSND TO 15000 FT AND THEN CLRED FOR THE FULL APCH. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO BEGIN THE VOR APCH AND INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 15 APCH ONCE ESTABLISHED INBOUND. AMIDST THE HURRIED APCH TO DSND TO MINIMUM APCH ALT, AND MAINTAINING THE CORRECT DME, SLOWING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE DSCNT, CHANGING FROM VOR APCH TO ILS APCH AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND COM BTWN US AND THE HEAVILY-ACCENTED SPANISH CTLRS, THE PNF FAILED TO GET LNDG CLRNC. THE CAPT, AS PNF, WAS ASSISTING ME WITH THE APCH TRANSITION, CHKLISTS, AND GETTING WHAT LITTLE WX WAS AFFORDED US (THEY HAVE NO WX RPTING CAPABILITY AND COULD ONLY GIVE US VISIBILITY WHICH AT THE TIME WAS 1/2 MI). TO OUR SURPRISE, WE COMPLETED THE APCH AND LANDED ONLY TO BE TOLD BY THE TWR WE NEVER RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. THE FREQ HAD BEEN DIALED IN BUT THE PNF NEVER INITIATED CONTACT. IF SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE HAD BEGUN TO OCCUR IN THE UNITED STATES, CERTAINLY A TWR WOULD CHK WITH THE INBOUND ACFT TO SEE IF THEY WERE ON FREQ. ALSO, IF WE HAD BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES WE WOULD HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF WX RPTING AVAILABLE TO US. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS ALSO SOMETHING TO NOTE. MY CAPT AND I HAD TO CONSTANTLY CONFIRM WITH EACH OTHER AND THE CTLRS THE CLRNCS AND INSTRUCTIONS WE RECEIVED. IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WHERE SO MANY TOWNS/ARPTS ARE SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, NO ONE CAN AFFORD A MISUNDERSTANDING OF ANY MAGNITUDE.

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.