Narrative:

The incident occurred at the end of a long day in which we had flown through significant WX and I was tired. ATC cleared me for a straight-in visual approach and turned me over to the tower. The tower asked me to report a 2 mi final. At the time of the approach clearance, I was already close to the airport and almost too high to land straight-in. Hence, I had to make a very steep approach in very turbulent air with a strong crosswind. Because of the taxiway confign for the designated runway, I either had to land short and turn off quickly or go to the end of the runway and taxi a long way back. All of these factors caused me to become very busy planning and executing the approach. There was no traffic in the vicinity, either ground or air. Hence, the frequency was quiet and nothing jogged my memory regarding the need to report and get a landing clearance. As a result, I forgot to make my 2 mi report and get a clearance to land. I inadvertently confused the approach clearance with a landing clearance, even though I certainly know the difference. I made an uneventful landing, cleared the runway and called tower for taxi clearance. At that point the controller asked me if I had been cleared to land. I replied affirmatively, confusing the approach clearance with a landing clearance. I was reminded in no uncertain terms that I was instructed to call a 2 mi final, had not done so, and had not been cleared to land. The fact that it was late in the day after some difficult flying, the approach took considerable concentration and there was no traffic to jog my memory on not having a landing clearance. All this combined to cause a lapse in my normal mental landing check procedure and resulted in my landing at a controled field without landing clearance. In the future, I will add 'landing clearance' to my written approach checklist in an effort to preclude recurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AFTER AN UNAUTH LNDG FOR A GA PVT PLT WHO FAILED TO RPT A 2 MI FINAL FOR LNDG CLRNC AT DEC, IL.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A LONG DAY IN WHICH WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH SIGNIFICANT WX AND I WAS TIRED. ATC CLRED ME FOR A STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL APCH AND TURNED ME OVER TO THE TWR. THE TWR ASKED ME TO RPT A 2 MI FINAL. AT THE TIME OF THE APCH CLRNC, I WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND ALMOST TOO HIGH TO LAND STRAIGHT-IN. HENCE, I HAD TO MAKE A VERY STEEP APCH IN VERY TURBULENT AIR WITH A STRONG XWIND. BECAUSE OF THE TXWY CONFIGN FOR THE DESIGNATED RWY, I EITHER HAD TO LAND SHORT AND TURN OFF QUICKLY OR GO TO THE END OF THE RWY AND TAXI A LONG WAY BACK. ALL OF THESE FACTORS CAUSED ME TO BECOME VERY BUSY PLANNING AND EXECUTING THE APCH. THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE VICINITY, EITHER GND OR AIR. HENCE, THE FREQ WAS QUIET AND NOTHING JOGGED MY MEMORY REGARDING THE NEED TO RPT AND GET A LNDG CLRNC. AS A RESULT, I FORGOT TO MAKE MY 2 MI RPT AND GET A CLRNC TO LAND. I INADVERTENTLY CONFUSED THE APCH CLRNC WITH A LNDG CLRNC, EVEN THOUGH I CERTAINLY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG, CLRED THE RWY AND CALLED TWR FOR TAXI CLRNC. AT THAT POINT THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY, CONFUSING THE APCH CLRNC WITH A LNDG CLRNC. I WAS REMINDED IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL A 2 MI FINAL, HAD NOT DONE SO, AND HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND. THE FACT THAT IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY AFTER SOME DIFFICULT FLYING, THE APCH TOOK CONSIDERABLE CONCENTRATION AND THERE WAS NO TFC TO JOG MY MEMORY ON NOT HAVING A LNDG CLRNC. ALL THIS COMBINED TO CAUSE A LAPSE IN MY NORMAL MENTAL LNDG CHK PROC AND RESULTED IN MY LNDG AT A CTLED FIELD WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ADD 'LNDG CLRNC' TO MY WRITTEN APCH CHKLIST IN AN EFFORT TO PRECLUDE RECURRENCE.

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.