An air carrier BA31 flight crew landed without authority/authorized.

Attributes
ACN	396776
Time
Date	199803
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	396776
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 247 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 408
ASRS Report	396780
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were following a company aircraft for a landing on runway 19L and we were cleared for the visual on approach frequency. Company aircraft was on a left base and we were approaching midfield when cleared for the visual. Approach was busy giving someone at a satellite airport a clearance and never handed us off to tower. Neither the captain nor I caught this and after we observed the runway was clear of traffic we landed. After clearing the runway, ground contacted us and told us to proceed to the gate. That was the last we heard of the situation prior to mailing this report! (We were both very tired!) supplemental information from acn 396780: after landing we waited for the controller to finish issuing the clearance and asked him if we could contact ground. It was at this point we realized the controller had not switched us to the tower frequency. In our normal day-to-day operations we use several methods to back each other up to verify a landing clearance. We did not follow these methods, I think because we were distraction. We both accept responsibility for our actions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BA31 FLC LANDED WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: WE WERE FOLLOWING A COMPANY ACFT FOR A LNDG ON RWY 19L AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL ON APCH FREQ. COMPANY ACFT WAS ON A L BASE AND WE WERE APCHING MIDFIELD WHEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. APCH WAS BUSY GIVING SOMEONE AT A SATELLITE ARPT A CLRNC AND NEVER HANDED US OFF TO TWR. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I CAUGHT THIS AND AFTER WE OBSERVED THE RWY WAS CLR OF TFC WE LANDED. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, GND CONTACTED US AND TOLD US TO PROCEED TO THE GATE. THAT WAS THE LAST WE HEARD OF THE SIT PRIOR TO MAILING THIS RPT! (WE WERE BOTH VERY TIRED!) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 396780: AFTER LNDG WE WAITED FOR THE CTLR TO FINISH ISSUING THE CLRNC AND ASKED HIM IF WE COULD CONTACT GND. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED THE CTLR HAD NOT SWITCHED US TO THE TWR FREQ. IN OUR NORMAL DAY-TO-DAY OPS WE USE SEVERAL METHODS TO BACK EACH OTHER UP TO VERIFY A LNDG CLRNC. WE DID NOT FOLLOW THESE METHODS, I THINK BECAUSE WE WERE DISTR. WE BOTH ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.

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.