Narrative:

Fly a scheduled flight with WX that was clear and very little traffic in airport area. At a position of about 14 mi from airport, we were on a vector to intercept the localizer outside the far. We notified approach that we had the airport in sight and was then given a clearance for a visual approach. The first officer was flying, so I set in tower frequency on second radio head in anticipation of switching to tower frequency. We continued the approach to the FAF and set the aircraft in confign for landing. We were never given instructions to switch to tower for landing clearance from approach. But I also think they did give us clearance to land. As a backup in the past, I use a nose light switch to verify approach and landing clearance. We landed and when we turned off the runway, both pilots saw that we were on approach frequency and not tower. Also my nose light switch was in approach clearance position, but not in cleared to land position. Upon talking to ground frequency, I asked for telephone number of tower. After parking at gate, I made a call to tower. They said that they knew a landing clearance was not given but the process was ok. We had a good conversation and both were good to move on. I will start to do a check/flow at 1000 ft AGL. This will include gear position, flap position, FMS status, nose light position, missed approach altitude and landing clearance on tower frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW LANDED AT MSP WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: FLY A SCHEDULED FLT WITH WX THAT WAS CLR AND VERY LITTLE TFC IN ARPT AREA. AT A POS OF ABOUT 14 MI FROM ARPT, WE WERE ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC OUTSIDE THE FAR. WE NOTIFIED APCH THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS THEN GIVEN A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE FO WAS FLYING, SO I SET IN TWR FREQ ON SECOND RADIO HEAD IN ANTICIPATION OF SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ. WE CONTINUED THE APCH TO THE FAF AND SET THE ACFT IN CONFIGN FOR LNDG. WE WERE NEVER GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO SWITCH TO TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC FROM APCH. BUT I ALSO THINK THEY DID GIVE US CLRNC TO LAND. AS A BACKUP IN THE PAST, I USE A NOSE LIGHT SWITCH TO VERIFY APCH AND LNDG CLRNC. WE LANDED AND WHEN WE TURNED OFF THE RWY, BOTH PLTS SAW THAT WE WERE ON APCH FREQ AND NOT TWR. ALSO MY NOSE LIGHT SWITCH WAS IN APCH CLRNC POS, BUT NOT IN CLRED TO LAND POS. UPON TALKING TO GND FREQ, I ASKED FOR TELEPHONE NUMBER OF TWR. AFTER PARKING AT GATE, I MADE A CALL TO TWR. THEY SAID THAT THEY KNEW A LNDG CLRNC WAS NOT GIVEN BUT THE PROCESS WAS OK. WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION AND BOTH WERE GOOD TO MOVE ON. I WILL START TO DO A CHK/FLOW AT 1000 FT AGL. THIS WILL INCLUDE GEAR POS, FLAP POS, FMS STATUS, NOSE LIGHT POS, MISSED APCH ALT AND LNDG CLRNC ON TWR FREQ.

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.