A B737-300 flight crew lands without landing clearance from tower at phl, PA.

Attributes
ACN	464450
Time
Date	200002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	464450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a long day in which we flew 9.5 hours hard time (scheduled for 7 hours 52 mins), we were cleared for a visual approach into phl and landed without being handed off to the tower or calling the tower for landing clearance. After flying about 8 hours (4 legs -- 5 total for the day), I was hand flying a visual approach. Approach control left us high, 7000 ft, on a 7 mi base following a B757. I was occupied slowing the airplane, configuring for landing, getting down, checklists and following the B757. I made a nice approach and landing under the circumstances and after clearing the runway, noticed that we were still on approach control frequency. It was late and there was not much traffic. I asked the PNF if we were ever handed off to the tower. He and I never heard the handoff and due to my fatigue and the late hour, did not realize that we never were given landing clearance by the tower or approach. We were both very tired and not as mentally alert as we would have liked. We were never told to call the tower even after landing. On the next leg, we missed a radio check-in too. Human factors: we were doing a good job flying, but we were so tired that we did not perceive our mistakes. We were totally exhausted and not as safe as we should have been. Although we were legal, we were not safe! Even though we were rested and legal for the trip, we learned that once tired, complex tasks may result in omissions. Next time, we should consider getting off trip if such errors persist. Since we didn't realize how tired we were, the regulation should be changed! More rest, schedule and fly less! Also, ATC shouldn't have left us high so close to airport!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC LANDS WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC FROM TWR AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: DURING A LONG DAY IN WHICH WE FLEW 9.5 HRS HARD TIME (SCHEDULED FOR 7 HRS 52 MINS), WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH INTO PHL AND LANDED WITHOUT BEING HANDED OFF TO THE TWR OR CALLING THE TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC. AFTER FLYING ABOUT 8 HRS (4 LEGS -- 5 TOTAL FOR THE DAY), I WAS HAND FLYING A VISUAL APCH. APCH CTL LEFT US HIGH, 7000 FT, ON A 7 MI BASE FOLLOWING A B757. I WAS OCCUPIED SLOWING THE AIRPLANE, CONFIGURING FOR LNDG, GETTING DOWN, CHKLISTS AND FOLLOWING THE B757. I MADE A NICE APCH AND LNDG UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND AFTER CLRING THE RWY, NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH CTL FREQ. IT WAS LATE AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH TFC. I ASKED THE PNF IF WE WERE EVER HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. HE AND I NEVER HEARD THE HDOF AND DUE TO MY FATIGUE AND THE LATE HR, DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE NEVER WERE GIVEN LNDG CLRNC BY THE TWR OR APCH. WE WERE BOTH VERY TIRED AND NOT AS MENTALLY ALERT AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. WE WERE NEVER TOLD TO CALL THE TWR EVEN AFTER LNDG. ON THE NEXT LEG, WE MISSED A RADIO CHK-IN TOO. HUMAN FACTORS: WE WERE DOING A GOOD JOB FLYING, BUT WE WERE SO TIRED THAT WE DID NOT PERCEIVE OUR MISTAKES. WE WERE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AND NOT AS SAFE AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. ALTHOUGH WE WERE LEGAL, WE WERE NOT SAFE! EVEN THOUGH WE WERE RESTED AND LEGAL FOR THE TRIP, WE LEARNED THAT ONCE TIRED, COMPLEX TASKS MAY RESULT IN OMISSIONS. NEXT TIME, WE SHOULD CONSIDER GETTING OFF TRIP IF SUCH ERRORS PERSIST. SINCE WE DIDN'T REALIZE HOW TIRED WE WERE, THE REG SHOULD BE CHANGED! MORE REST, SCHEDULE AND FLY LESS! ALSO, ATC SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT US HIGH SO CLOSE TO ARPT!

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.