DHC8 flight crew lands without a clearance at pdx.

Attributes
ACN	582616
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdx.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 28l other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	582616
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was the last leg of 3 day trip. Expected a visual approach, but WX took us by surprise. While getting vectors to ILS approach runway 28L, we realized ceilings were lower than reported on ATIS. While resetting MDA and altitude alerters, we never received a handoff from approach control to tower, approach and landing uneventful. After clearing runway, noticed lack of chatter on frequency. When I asked to be xferred to ground control, discovered we had never swapped from approach to tower and therefore didn't receive a clearance to land. When we finally swapped to tower frequency, the controller told us to taxi to parking and stay on his frequency. Familiarity and fatigue played a factor in this error. Also, late hour and no other aircraft on approach or in the vicinity lulled us into a false sense of security. Also, in this aircraft, the capts generally turn on the taxi light when cleared to land by tower. I believe that even though not cleared, the captain turned on the taxi light out of habit, which led to a false belief that we were cleared to land.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 FLT CREW LANDS WITHOUT A CLRNC AT PDX.

Narrative: WAS THE LAST LEG OF 3 DAY TRIP. EXPECTED A VISUAL APCH, BUT WX TOOK US BY SURPRISE. WHILE GETTING VECTORS TO ILS APCH RWY 28L, WE REALIZED CEILINGS WERE LOWER THAN RPTED ON ATIS. WHILE RESETTING MDA AND ALT ALERTERS, WE NEVER RECEIVED A HDOF FROM APCH CTL TO TWR, APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. AFTER CLRING RWY, NOTICED LACK OF CHATTER ON FREQ. WHEN I ASKED TO BE XFERRED TO GND CTL, DISCOVERED WE HAD NEVER SWAPPED FROM APCH TO TWR AND THEREFORE DIDN'T RECEIVE A CLRNC TO LAND. WHEN WE FINALLY SWAPPED TO TWR FREQ, THE CTLR TOLD US TO TAXI TO PARKING AND STAY ON HIS FREQ. FAMILIARITY AND FATIGUE PLAYED A FACTOR IN THIS ERROR. ALSO, LATE HR AND NO OTHER ACFT ON APCH OR IN THE VICINITY LULLED US INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. ALSO, IN THIS ACFT, THE CAPTS GENERALLY TURN ON THE TAXI LIGHT WHEN CLRED TO LAND BY TWR. I BELIEVE THAT EVEN THOUGH NOT CLRED, THE CAPT TURNED ON THE TAXI LIGHT OUT OF HABIT, WHICH LED TO A FALSE BELIEF THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND.

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.