B737 crew landing without clearance at lga.

Attributes
ACN	485050
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	485050
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Last leg of the day, first officer was PF. WX was clear and hazy. Lga was on a 1 runway operation due to proximity of other traffic. We were cleared from a right downwind to base for a visual approach to runway 22 at lga. We were following traffic visually for the runway. We were handed off to tower frequency. Both of us recall establishing contact with lga tower and were under the impression that we had been given landing clearance. Due to departing traffic that was slow to get airborne, we considered rejecting the landing, but opted to continue approach. We touched down with the departing traffic climbing through 100-150 ft. After clearing the runway and contacting ground control, they informed us that we had landed without a landing clearance. I apologized and followed up with a phone call to the supervisor at lga tower. According to him, the tower was in the process of a shift change and not to worry about it. ATC shift change. Crew new to aircraft, low time in type. Normally congested environment. Fatigue, last leg of duty day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW LWOC AT LGA.

Narrative: LAST LEG OF THE DAY, FO WAS PF. WX WAS CLR AND HAZY. LGA WAS ON A 1 RWY OP DUE TO PROX OF OTHER TFC. WE WERE CLRED FROM A R DOWNWIND TO BASE FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22 AT LGA. WE WERE FOLLOWING TFC VISUALLY FOR THE RWY. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TWR FREQ. BOTH OF US RECALL ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH LGA TWR AND WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN LNDG CLRNC. DUE TO DEPARTING TFC THAT WAS SLOW TO GET AIRBORNE, WE CONSIDERED REJECTING THE LNDG, BUT OPTED TO CONTINUE APCH. WE TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE DEPARTING TFC CLBING THROUGH 100-150 FT. AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND CONTACTING GND CTL, THEY INFORMED US THAT WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. I APOLOGIZED AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A PHONE CALL TO THE SUPVR AT LGA TWR. ACCORDING TO HIM, THE TWR WAS IN THE PROCESS OF A SHIFT CHANGE AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. ATC SHIFT CHANGE. CREW NEW TO ACFT, LOW TIME IN TYPE. NORMALLY CONGESTED ENVIRONMENT. FATIGUE, LAST LEG OF DUTY DAY.

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.