Narrative:

Phx approach gave us a 290 degree heading to join runway 25R and cleared us for a visual runway 25R. Approach control didn't give us a handoff to tower. We were getting close to the airport and could not get through to approach to ask if they wanted us to switch to tower as approach was busy talking to other aircraft. At approximately 4 mile final to runway 25R we switched to tower. We could not get through to tower as he was busy clearing numerous aircraft for takeoff on runway 25R. Normally at phx, when you contact the tower they have you sidestep to runway 25L at a 3 mile final and clear you to land runway 25L. At approximately 1 and a half mi to 2 mi final we elected to go around. We went around because we still couldn't get in contact with the tower, an aircraft was still on the runway, and we were too low to sidestep to runway 25L and still meet company procedures for stabilized approachs during VMC. Once we initiated the go around and were climbing out, we were finally able to get in touch with the tower. We informed tower that we were going around and offsetting to the left. We offset to the left due to another aircraft taking off on runway 25R. We had the aircraft in sight the whole time. Shortly after, tower gave us a 220 degree heading and call departure. We came back around for an uneventful approach and landing. After arriving at the gate, tower was on the phone and asked me to explain what had happened. I told him what had happened and asked if there was a problem and he said 'not on your end.' he also said that tower had cleared us for runway 25L, but it was before we had even switched from approach to tower, therefore we never received or acknowledged a clearance for runway 25L from the tower. Factors that contributed to this are: 1) approach forgetting to hand us off to tower. 2) tower was so busy on the radio that there was not a break to check in. 3) tower giving us a clearance to switch to runway 25L without us checking in and us not hearing or acknowledging the clearance as we were still on approach. (Note: when I talked to tower on the phone after landing, he said tower had given us a clearance to runway 25L). 4) phx using the procedure where approach control give you clearance for one runway and tower clears you to land on another. This happens the majority of the time at phx while approaching/landing on runways 7 and 25. This can lead to problems such as we encountered. 5) tower should not give a landing clearance without you checking in and should hear your acknowledgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC EXECUTES GAR WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: PHX APCH GAVE US A 290 DEG HDG TO JOIN RWY 25R AND CLRED US FOR A VISUAL RWY 25R. APCH CTL DIDN'T GIVE US A HANDOFF TO TWR. WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO APCH TO ASK IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH TO TWR AS APCH WAS BUSY TALKING TO OTHER ACFT. AT APPROX 4 MILE FINAL TO RWY 25R WE SWITCHED TO TWR. WE COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO TWR AS HE WAS BUSY CLRING NUMEROUS ACFT FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 25R. NORMALLY AT PHX, WHEN YOU CONTACT THE TWR THEY HAVE YOU SIDESTEP TO RWY 25L AT A 3 MILE FINAL AND CLR YOU TO LAND RWY 25L. AT APPROX 1 AND A HALF MI TO 2 MI FINAL WE ELECTED TO GAR. WE WENT AROUND BECAUSE WE STILL COULDN'T GET IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR, AN ACFT WAS STILL ON THE RWY, AND WE WERE TOO LOW TO SIDESTEP TO RWY 25L AND STILL MEET COMPANY PROCS FOR STABILIZED APCHS DURING VMC. ONCE WE INITIATED THE GAR AND WERE CLIMBING OUT, WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TWR. WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND AND OFFSETTING TO THE L. WE OFFSET TO THE L DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT TAKING OFF ON RWY 25R. WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. SHORTLY AFTER, TWR GAVE US A 220 DEG HDG AND CALL DEP. WE CAME BACK AROUND FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE, TWR WAS ON THE PHONE AND ASKED ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND HE SAID 'NOT ON YOUR END.' HE ALSO SAID THAT TWR HAD CLRED US FOR RWY 25L, BUT IT WAS BEFORE WE HAD EVEN SWITCHED FROM APCH TO TWR, THEREFORE WE NEVER RECEIVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED A CLRNC FOR RWY 25L FROM THE TWR. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARE: 1) APCH FORGETTING TO HAND US OFF TO TWR. 2) TWR WAS SO BUSY ON THE RADIO THAT THERE WAS NOT A BREAK TO CHK IN. 3) TWR GIVING US A CLRNC TO SWITCH TO RWY 25L WITHOUT US CHKING IN AND US NOT HEARING OR ACKNOWLEDGING THE CLRNC AS WE WERE STILL ON APCH. (NOTE: WHEN I TALKED TO TWR ON THE PHONE AFTER LNDG, HE SAID TWR HAD GIVEN US A CLRNC TO RWY 25L). 4) PHX USING THE PROC WHERE APCH CTL GIVE YOU CLRNC FOR ONE RWY AND TWR CLRS YOU TO LAND ON ANOTHER. THIS HAPPENS THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME AT PHX WHILE APCHING/LNDG ON RWYS 7 AND 25. THIS CAN LEAD TO PROBS SUCH AS WE ENCOUNTERED. 5) TWR SHOULD NOT GIVE A LNDG CLRNC WITHOUT YOU CHKING IN AND SHOULD HEAR YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

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.