MD80 crew may not have obtained clearance to land.

Attributes
ACN	408640
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
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	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	408640
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	408642
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The captain was flying the aircraft on approach to dfw airport in VMC conditions. After landing on runway 17C but before given clearance to cross runway 17R, I dialed in ground frequency in anticipation of the crossing. After doing so I noticed that in the selected side of the communication #1 control head was frequency 127.07 (approach control). At this point, I was unsure if I had inadvertently dialed in ground control on the selected side and by habit switched the selector (back to approach control frequency). We could not specifically remember whether we had switched to tower before landing and been given landing clearance. Up to this point, neither of us had noticed anything out of the ordinary. We switched to tower frequency and were given clearance to cross runway 17R. Neither tower nor ground control mentioned that we had not gotten landing clearance or had any trouble communicating with us. We are still unsure whether we landed on approach control frequency without landing clearance or if this was just a confusing mistake in the way I dialed in ground frequency after landing. Supplemental information from acn 408642: it appears that we either missed the frequency change to tower, or we were not given the change. We probably did not hear or acknowledge a clearance to land. Better cockpit discipline to verify landing clearance would have prevented this event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW MAY NOT HAVE OBTAINED CLRNC TO LAND.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT ON APCH TO DFW ARPT IN VMC CONDITIONS. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 17C BUT BEFORE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17R, I DIALED IN GND FREQ IN ANTICIPATION OF THE XING. AFTER DOING SO I NOTICED THAT IN THE SELECTED SIDE OF THE COM #1 CTL HEAD WAS FREQ 127.07 (APCH CTL). AT THIS POINT, I WAS UNSURE IF I HAD INADVERTENTLY DIALED IN GND CTL ON THE SELECTED SIDE AND BY HABIT SWITCHED THE SELECTOR (BACK TO APCH CTL FREQ). WE COULD NOT SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER WHETHER WE HAD SWITCHED TO TWR BEFORE LNDG AND BEEN GIVEN LNDG CLRNC. UP TO THIS POINT, NEITHER OF US HAD NOTICED ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17R. NEITHER TWR NOR GND CTL MENTIONED THAT WE HAD NOT GOTTEN LNDG CLRNC OR HAD ANY TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH US. WE ARE STILL UNSURE WHETHER WE LANDED ON APCH CTL FREQ WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC OR IF THIS WAS JUST A CONFUSING MISTAKE IN THE WAY I DIALED IN GND FREQ AFTER LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408642: IT APPEARS THAT WE EITHER MISSED THE FREQ CHANGE TO TWR, OR WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE CHANGE. WE PROBABLY DID NOT HEAR OR ACKNOWLEDGE A CLRNC TO LAND. BETTER COCKPIT DISCIPLINE TO VERIFY LNDG CLRNC WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT.

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.