A B727 flight crew landing without clearance at phf, va.

Attributes
ACN	545922
Time
Date	200204
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phf.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 6957
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : orf.tracon tower : phf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 7300 flight time type : 4035
ASRS Report	545922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer flying. Approach control very busy. First time in area for all crew members. At 7000 ft and within 10 NM of field (3 NM) we were cleared for the approach (visual) to runway 25. We were in no position to land from that altitude, so we had to turn away from the field while configuring for landing and continuing descent. We turned back and were still a little high (back course localizer runway 25 out of service), so crew concentration was on safe approach. All aboard thought approach control had cleared us to land as well. We were still monitoring approach control frequency. After touchdown, approach control cleared us to land (again?). Now all of us were questioning whether we had clearance or not. Possible causes: crew unfamiliar with area and procedures. Busy approach control lost track of us while outbound for reversal. High and tight (slam-dunk) clearance for visual approach. Also, crew distraction throughout most of flight by company policies and repeated contract violations while negotiating new contract -- underlying tensions about possible strike. This distraction has existed for months. Possible solutions: better initial vectoring (we could only have landed from point of approach clearance if we were 6000 ft lower). Reduce controller workload to prevent losing aircraft and not switching to tower frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC LWOC AT PHF, VA.

Narrative: FO FLYING. APCH CTL VERY BUSY. FIRST TIME IN AREA FOR ALL CREW MEMBERS. AT 7000 FT AND WITHIN 10 NM OF FIELD (3 NM) WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH (VISUAL) TO RWY 25. WE WERE IN NO POS TO LAND FROM THAT ALT, SO WE HAD TO TURN AWAY FROM THE FIELD WHILE CONFIGURING FOR LNDG AND CONTINUING DSCNT. WE TURNED BACK AND WERE STILL A LITTLE HIGH (BACK COURSE LOC RWY 25 OUT OF SVC), SO CREW CONCENTRATION WAS ON SAFE APCH. ALL ABOARD THOUGHT APCH CTL HAD CLRED US TO LAND AS WELL. WE WERE STILL MONITORING APCH CTL FREQ. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, APCH CTL CLRED US TO LAND (AGAIN?). NOW ALL OF US WERE QUESTIONING WHETHER WE HAD CLRNC OR NOT. POSSIBLE CAUSES: CREW UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA AND PROCS. BUSY APCH CTL LOST TRACK OF US WHILE OUTBOUND FOR REVERSAL. HIGH AND TIGHT (SLAM-DUNK) CLRNC FOR VISUAL APCH. ALSO, CREW DISTR THROUGHOUT MOST OF FLT BY COMPANY POLICIES AND REPEATED CONTRACT VIOLATIONS WHILE NEGOTIATING NEW CONTRACT -- UNDERLYING TENSIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE STRIKE. THIS DISTR HAS EXISTED FOR MONTHS. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: BETTER INITIAL VECTORING (WE COULD ONLY HAVE LANDED FROM POINT OF APCH CLRNC IF WE WERE 6000 FT LOWER). REDUCE CTLR WORKLOAD TO PREVENT LOSING ACFT AND NOT SWITCHING TO 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.