Narrative:

Just prior to touchdown, lax tower told us to go around because of the aircraft in front of us. Both the copilot and I, however, understood tower to say, 'cleared to land, aircraft on the runway.' since the aircraft in front of us was clear of the runway and we both misunderstood tower's radio call and considered it an advisory, we landed. As we taxied to the gate, tower requested that I call them from a phone when I had the opportunity (I called from the gate). It was on the phone that I discovered tower had sent us around. In hindsight, from their perspective, going around was the prudent thing to do. I have become too conditioned in the past few yrs in being vectored into a visual approach behind an aircraft that is too close. Regrettably, in this situation, confusion and misunderstanding put us in a difficult situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOCKHEED L1011 FLC LANDED AFTER BEING DIRECTED TO GO AROUND BY THE LAX TWR.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, LAX TWR TOLD US TO GO AROUND BECAUSE OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US. BOTH THE COPLT AND I, HOWEVER, UNDERSTOOD TWR TO SAY, 'CLRED TO LAND, ACFT ON THE RWY.' SINCE THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS CLR OF THE RWY AND WE BOTH MISUNDERSTOOD TWR'S RADIO CALL AND CONSIDERED IT AN ADVISORY, WE LANDED. AS WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, TWR REQUESTED THAT I CALL THEM FROM A PHONE WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY (I CALLED FROM THE GATE). IT WAS ON THE PHONE THAT I DISCOVERED TWR HAD SENT US AROUND. IN HINDSIGHT, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, GOING AROUND WAS THE PRUDENT THING TO DO. I HAVE BECOME TOO CONDITIONED IN THE PAST FEW YRS IN BEING VECTORED INTO A VISUAL APCH BEHIND AN ACFT THAT IS TOO CLOSE. REGRETTABLY, IN THIS SIT, CONFUSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING PUT US IN A DIFFICULT SIT.

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.