Narrative:

I made the frequency change to the sigonella control tower about 15 mi out, but I never made the call for initial contact or landing clearance. The tower never attempted to contact us nor did he respond initially when we called for taxi clearance after landing. We got involved in stabilizing the visual approach to runway 28L. The WX was a factor in that there was 5 mi visibility, local fog and nighttime conditions. The airport sits in a 'black hole' and the runway is relatively short at 8000 ft in length with no published straight-in approach other than TACAN. Fatigue was a factor in that we were on duty for 16 hours 30 mins with flight time of 10 hours 40 mins on the 'back side of the clock.' although we erred in not receiving landing clearance, a most disturbing factor was the lack of cooperation on the part of the italian tower controller at sigonella. At the time of this occurrence, there was no other activity occurring at the sigonella airport. It appears the tower controller knowingly let us land without a clearance with no attempt on his part to contact us. He was quite verbal in telling us that we had landed without clearance. Supplemental information from acn 483576: since sigonella had no electronic GS information or VASI or PAPI available for any of their runways, with no other surface lights in the area except for the runway and some patchy fog in the area, this was truly a 'black hole' approach requiring everyone's full attention to back up the PF. There was no other aircraft movement either in the air or on the ground, hence there was never a word said on the tower frequency. We all missed the fact that we never had been cleared to land. Contributing was not only the degree of difficulty of the approach, but the fact that we were all tired. The tower controller also contributed in that even though he knew we were coming (handoff from approach control, earlier communication with the flight engineer asking for WX, and the fact that we were lit up like a christmas tree against an otherwise black sky and the only aircraft in the area) he never attempted to call us. Correcting this or similar type sits could include shorter duty -periods for international flying, better CRM or possibly a checklist item concerning landing clearance to complete the before landing checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW LANDS A FOREIGN ARPT AFTER A LONG DUTY DAY IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT WITHOUT CLRNC BUT ON THE TWR FREQ.

Narrative: I MADE THE FREQ CHANGE TO THE SIGONELLA CTL TWR ABOUT 15 MI OUT, BUT I NEVER MADE THE CALL FOR INITIAL CONTACT OR LNDG CLRNC. THE TWR NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT US NOR DID HE RESPOND INITIALLY WHEN WE CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC AFTER LNDG. WE GOT INVOLVED IN STABILIZING THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. THE WX WAS A FACTOR IN THAT THERE WAS 5 MI VISIBILITY, LCL FOG AND NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS. THE ARPT SITS IN A 'BLACK HOLE' AND THE RWY IS RELATIVELY SHORT AT 8000 FT IN LENGTH WITH NO PUBLISHED STRAIGHT-IN APCH OTHER THAN TACAN. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR IN THAT WE WERE ON DUTY FOR 16 HRS 30 MINS WITH FLT TIME OF 10 HRS 40 MINS ON THE 'BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK.' ALTHOUGH WE ERRED IN NOT RECEIVING LNDG CLRNC, A MOST DISTURBING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF COOPERATION ON THE PART OF THE ITALIAN TWR CTLR AT SIGONELLA. AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE, THERE WAS NO OTHER ACTIVITY OCCURRING AT THE SIGONELLA ARPT. IT APPEARS THE TWR CTLR KNOWINGLY LET US LAND WITHOUT A CLRNC WITH NO ATTEMPT ON HIS PART TO CONTACT US. HE WAS QUITE VERBAL IN TELLING US THAT WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 483576: SINCE SIGONELLA HAD NO ELECTRONIC GS INFO OR VASI OR PAPI AVAILABLE FOR ANY OF THEIR RWYS, WITH NO OTHER SURFACE LIGHTS IN THE AREA EXCEPT FOR THE RWY AND SOME PATCHY FOG IN THE AREA, THIS WAS TRULY A 'BLACK HOLE' APCH REQUIRING EVERYONE'S FULL ATTN TO BACK UP THE PF. THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT MOVEMENT EITHER IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND, HENCE THERE WAS NEVER A WORD SAID ON THE TWR FREQ. WE ALL MISSED THE FACT THAT WE NEVER HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. CONTRIBUTING WAS NOT ONLY THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY OF THE APCH, BUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE ALL TIRED. THE TWR CTLR ALSO CONTRIBUTED IN THAT EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW WE WERE COMING (HDOF FROM APCH CTL, EARLIER COM WITH THE FE ASKING FOR WX, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AGAINST AN OTHERWISE BLACK SKY AND THE ONLY ACFT IN THE AREA) HE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CALL US. CORRECTING THIS OR SIMILAR TYPE SITS COULD INCLUDE SHORTER DUTY -PERIODS FOR INTL FLYING, BETTER CRM OR POSSIBLY A CHKLIST ITEM CONCERNING LNDG CLRNC TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST.

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.