A B727 lands at atl without landing clearance. There was some question as to whether a handoff had b...

Attributes
ACN	415231
Time
Date	199809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	415231
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	415230
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

5 NM south of atl, while being vectored for a short approach into atl, I (the PF) was configuring the aircraft for landing and the first officer was communicating with approach. After having been cleared for the approach, we continued and landed on runway 9R in atl. It was not until after landing that the first officer discovered that we had not changed over to tower frequency. We cannot honestly remember if we were handed off to tower. Consequently, after landing, I contacted the tower by telephone to determine if we had endangered any other aircraft in the area. The tower controller assured me that we had not and that he was aware of the situation. He mentioned that he had been trying to have the approach controller to hand us off to him. However, training had been taking place and he was unsuccessful in his attempts. In retrospect, I determined that as a result of the short approach clearance and the need to configure the aircraft for landing, I permitted the situation to distract my attention from other goings on in the cockpit. In the future, I will be certain to tie the landing clearance to another action in the cockpit -- perhaps the lowering of the landing gear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 LANDS AT ATL WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC. THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER A HDOF HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY THE APCH CTL FA.

Narrative: 5 NM S OF ATL, WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A SHORT APCH INTO ATL, I (THE PF) WAS CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND THE FO WAS COMMUNICATING WITH APCH. AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH, WE CONTINUED AND LANDED ON RWY 9R IN ATL. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER LNDG THAT THE FO DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD NOT CHANGED OVER TO TWR FREQ. WE CANNOT HONESTLY REMEMBER IF WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TWR. CONSEQUENTLY, AFTER LNDG, I CONTACTED THE TWR BY TELEPHONE TO DETERMINE IF WE HAD ENDANGERED ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. THE TWR CTLR ASSURED ME THAT WE HAD NOT AND THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE SIT. HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO HAVE THE APCH CTLR TO HAND US OFF TO HIM. HOWEVER, TRAINING HAD BEEN TAKING PLACE AND HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN HIS ATTEMPTS. IN RETROSPECT, I DETERMINED THAT AS A RESULT OF THE SHORT APCH CLRNC AND THE NEED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG, I PERMITTED THE SIT TO DISTRACT MY ATTN FROM OTHER GOINGS ON IN THE COCKPIT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE CERTAIN TO TIE THE LNDG CLRNC TO ANOTHER ACTION IN THE COCKPIT -- PERHAPS THE LOWERING OF THE LNDG GEAR.

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.

A B727 lands at atl without landing clearance. There was some question as to whether a handoff had been accomplished by the approach control flight attendant.