An atx LR35 freighter flight crew lands without a clearance after making a visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	399280
Time
Date	199804
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hsv
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hsv
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	399280
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As we arrived in the terminal area, we were under radar control being vectored for a visual approach to runway 18L. Both crew members were preoccupied with intense storms south and west of the airport and had been required to deviate extensively on the flight from jvy to hsv. The hsv approach controller 'pointed' the aircraft and queried if we saw the runway. I replied I had the beacon, not the runway. He then informed me that the runway was between my aircraft and the beacon. I thanked him and this was the last transmission between my aircraft and hsv until clearing the runway. I was neither given a handoff to tower nor did I request one. After the last transmission, the PF began requesting gear, flaps, and checklists. After clearing the runway, I informed what I thought was tower, that I was clear of the runway. I was then told that I had landed without clearance and that he had been waiting for a 'runway in sight' call. Fatigue due to the time of the flight as well as the large amount of severe WX contributed to the lack of proper clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX LR35 FREIGHTER FLC LANDS WITHOUT A CLRNC AFTER MAKING A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: AS WE ARRIVED IN THE TERMINAL AREA, WE WERE UNDER RADAR CTL BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L. BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH INTENSE STORMS S AND W OF THE ARPT AND HAD BEEN REQUIRED TO DEVIATE EXTENSIVELY ON THE FLT FROM JVY TO HSV. THE HSV APCH CTLR 'POINTED' THE ACFT AND QUERIED IF WE SAW THE RWY. I REPLIED I HAD THE BEACON, NOT THE RWY. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE RWY WAS BTWN MY ACFT AND THE BEACON. I THANKED HIM AND THIS WAS THE LAST XMISSION BTWN MY ACFT AND HSV UNTIL CLRING THE RWY. I WAS NEITHER GIVEN A HDOF TO TWR NOR DID I REQUEST ONE. AFTER THE LAST XMISSION, THE PF BEGAN REQUESTING GEAR, FLAPS, AND CHKLISTS. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I INFORMED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TWR, THAT I WAS CLR OF THE RWY. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I HAD LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AND THAT HE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A 'RWY IN SIGHT' CALL. FATIGUE DUE TO THE TIME OF THE FLT AS WELL AS THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SEVERE WX CONTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF PROPER CLRNC.

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.