Narrative:

During a flight from ewr to phx, approach into phx was vectors to a visual approach runway 8. RAPCON left us high (approximately 8000 ft MSL) until abeam the field and then cleared us the visual approach behind an aircraft (dhc-8) already established on final for runway 8. The captain said he had the dhc-8 and runway in sight and we were cleared for the visual approach. We configured the aircraft and began a rapid descent and turn to final. The captain began to overshoot runway 8 and line up on runway 7L&right. I asked him if he had runway 8 in sight and he said yes. Phx tower called us and said we were overshooting and that there was another aircraft established on final for the south runways (runway 7L or runway 7R, I am not sure). I pointed to our 11 O'clock position and said 'runway 8 is over there!' by this time we were gaining rapidly on the dhc-8 in front of us. I still had the dhc-8 in sight. Tower told us to continue slowing. Once established on final, fully configured for landing and on speed, the captain acquired a visual on the landing dhc-8 ahead. We both remembered that it was going to be close. At about 200 ft AGL, the dhc-8 had fully turned off the runway, and I told the captain 'he's clear, continue!' we subsequently landed uneventfully. Once clear of the runway, phx tower issued us a phone number to contact the tower supervisor. During this conversation, the tower supervisor notified us that he had sent us around. I heard no such transmission! The captain said he heard an inaudible transmission with our call sign only, but no go around instructions. The tower supervisor told us it was no problem, he just wanted to discuss the situation with us. This could have all been avoided had we not been slam-dunked!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISSED TWR'S GAR CALL AND LANDED.

Narrative: DURING A FLT FROM EWR TO PHX, APCH INTO PHX WAS VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 8. RAPCON LEFT US HIGH (APPROX 8000 FT MSL) UNTIL ABEAM THE FIELD AND THEN CLRED US THE VISUAL APCH BEHIND AN ACFT (DHC-8) ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON FINAL FOR RWY 8. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD THE DHC-8 AND RWY IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT AND BEGAN A RAPID DSCNT AND TURN TO FINAL. THE CAPT BEGAN TO OVERSHOOT RWY 8 AND LINE UP ON RWY 7L&R. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD RWY 8 IN SIGHT AND HE SAID YES. PHX TWR CALLED US AND SAID WE WERE OVERSHOOTING AND THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ESTABLISHED ON FINAL FOR THE S RWYS (RWY 7L OR RWY 7R, I AM NOT SURE). I POINTED TO OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AND SAID 'RWY 8 IS OVER THERE!' BY THIS TIME WE WERE GAINING RAPIDLY ON THE DHC-8 IN FRONT OF US. I STILL HAD THE DHC-8 IN SIGHT. TWR TOLD US TO CONTINUE SLOWING. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, FULLY CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND ON SPD, THE CAPT ACQUIRED A VISUAL ON THE LNDG DHC-8 AHEAD. WE BOTH REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL, THE DHC-8 HAD FULLY TURNED OFF THE RWY, AND I TOLD THE CAPT 'HE'S CLR, CONTINUE!' WE SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ONCE CLR OF THE RWY, PHX TWR ISSUED US A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE TWR SUPVR. DURING THIS CONVERSATION, THE TWR SUPVR NOTIFIED US THAT HE HAD SENT US AROUND. I HEARD NO SUCH XMISSION! THE CAPT SAID HE HEARD AN INAUDIBLE XMISSION WITH OUR CALL SIGN ONLY, BUT NO GAR INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR SUPVR TOLD US IT WAS NO PROB, HE JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH US. THIS COULD HAVE ALL BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE NOT BEEN SLAM-DUNKED!

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.