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D328 flight crew perceives that frequency change to tower was for their flight and obtains clearance to land. While on short final, tower local controller asks flight crew if they obtained approach clearance. Flight crew does not remember obtaining clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 427230 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 3700 |
| ASRS Report | 427230 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While receiving radar vectors from pittsburgh approach, we were descended and slowed in various increments on the downwind leg. After being assigned a base vector and altitude (3000 ft) that was acceptable for initial approach altitude, my first officer thought that he told us to contact the tower. I was busy capturing the altitude and reducing speed and really didn't carefully follow the radio call. He contacted tower, who cleared us to land. Later the tower called back and asked if we had received our approach clearance yet. Looking back, I know we never did get a clearance for a visual approach. It all looked right from my view. I had 1 aircraft ahead by 5 NM and no aircraft following at the time (by monitoring TCASII). The last vector/altitude was close to where an approach clearance and handoff would occur. Either my first officer answered the other aircraft's handoff or the controller called the other aircraft by our call sign. Nothing seemed abnormal at the time that this happened. We continued in and landed with no other conflicts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: D328 FLC PERCEIVES THAT FREQ CHANGE TO TWR WAS FOR THEIR FLT AND OBTAINS CLRNC TO LAND. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, TWR LCL CTLR ASKS FLC IF THEY OBTAINED APCH CLRNC. FLC DOES NOT REMEMBER OBTAINING CLRNC.
Narrative: WHILE RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FROM PITTSBURGH APCH, WE WERE DSNDED AND SLOWED IN VARIOUS INCREMENTS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. AFTER BEING ASSIGNED A BASE VECTOR AND ALT (3000 FT) THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR INITIAL APCH ALT, MY FO THOUGHT THAT HE TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR. I WAS BUSY CAPTURING THE ALT AND REDUCING SPD AND REALLY DIDN'T CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE RADIO CALL. HE CONTACTED TWR, WHO CLRED US TO LAND. LATER THE TWR CALLED BACK AND ASKED IF WE HAD RECEIVED OUR APCH CLRNC YET. LOOKING BACK, I KNOW WE NEVER DID GET A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH. IT ALL LOOKED RIGHT FROM MY VIEW. I HAD 1 ACFT AHEAD BY 5 NM AND NO ACFT FOLLOWING AT THE TIME (BY MONITORING TCASII). THE LAST VECTOR/ALT WAS CLOSE TO WHERE AN APCH CLRNC AND HDOF WOULD OCCUR. EITHER MY FO ANSWERED THE OTHER ACFT'S HDOF OR THE CTLR CALLED THE OTHER ACFT BY OUR CALL SIGN. NOTHING SEEMED ABNORMAL AT THE TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED. WE CONTINUED IN AND LANDED WITH NO OTHER CONFLICTS.
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.