A B727 flight crew inadvertently landing without clearance at hou after becoming distraction.

Attributes
ACN	598594
Time
Date	200311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
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 : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	598594
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	598596
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A B727-200 landed at houston george bush (iah) without obtaining a landing clearance from iah tower. The leading cause was pilot error due to pilot fatigue. Other contributing factors are in order of importance: 1) WX: fog 1/2 mi visibility. RVR for runway 26L was 4500 ft at touchdown and 6000 ft RVR at mid and rollout. A monitored approach was flown as per astar air cargo gom rules. 2) ATC changed the runway from runway 8R to runway 26L after the crew had briefed the runway 8R approach. This required the crew to brief the new approach. ATIS was stating that runway 8R and runway 8L approachs were in use. 3) due to the runway switch the crew was late to call for the before landing checklist. Localizer needs to be tuned and idented before the checklist can be called for. 4) the flight crew was late configuring the aircraft to the landing confign due to a quick short vector from ATC to the final approach course. When cleared for the approach and then instructed to contact houston tower on 127.3, the crew was busy configuring the aircraft for landing. This distraction the PNF, ie, the captain from tuning in the correct frequency of 127.3. 127.7 was tuned. The first officer was flying and concentrating on getting the aircraft properly configured along with setting up the autoplt and flight director for the monitored approach. 5) the OM beacon did not sound off. If the PF had heard the marker beacon sound, he would have stated 'start time, call tower and review the missed approach.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY LWOC AT HOU AFTER BECOMING DISTR.

Narrative: A B727-200 LANDED AT HOUSTON GEORGE BUSH (IAH) WITHOUT OBTAINING A LNDG CLRNC FROM IAH TWR. THE LEADING CAUSE WAS PLT ERROR DUE TO PLT FATIGUE. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: 1) WX: FOG 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. RVR FOR RWY 26L WAS 4500 FT AT TOUCHDOWN AND 6000 FT RVR AT MID AND ROLLOUT. A MONITORED APCH WAS FLOWN AS PER ASTAR AIR CARGO GOM RULES. 2) ATC CHANGED THE RWY FROM RWY 8R TO RWY 26L AFTER THE CREW HAD BRIEFED THE RWY 8R APCH. THIS REQUIRED THE CREW TO BRIEF THE NEW APCH. ATIS WAS STATING THAT RWY 8R AND RWY 8L APCHS WERE IN USE. 3) DUE TO THE RWY SWITCH THE CREW WAS LATE TO CALL FOR THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. LOC NEEDS TO BE TUNED AND IDENTED BEFORE THE CHKLIST CAN BE CALLED FOR. 4) THE FLT CREW WAS LATE CONFIGURING THE ACFT TO THE LNDG CONFIGN DUE TO A QUICK SHORT VECTOR FROM ATC TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH AND THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT HOUSTON TWR ON 127.3, THE CREW WAS BUSY CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG. THIS DISTR THE PNF, IE, THE CAPT FROM TUNING IN THE CORRECT FREQ OF 127.3. 127.7 WAS TUNED. THE FO WAS FLYING AND CONCENTRATING ON GETTING THE ACFT PROPERLY CONFIGURED ALONG WITH SETTING UP THE AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR FOR THE MONITORED APCH. 5) THE OM BEACON DID NOT SOUND OFF. IF THE PF HAD HEARD THE MARKER BEACON SOUND, HE WOULD HAVE STATED 'START TIME, CALL TWR AND REVIEW THE MISSED APCH.'

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.