Air carrier landing sfo was preoccupied with parallel traffic and landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	598784
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	598784
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
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:

We were cleared for an FMS bridge visual runway 28R at sfo. Approach control advised us of parallel traffic slightly behind and above us. We reported him in sight. The copilot and I both watched the close traffic. He was obviously high and fast -- came exactly parallel to us and then it appeared he was going around then again started descent to landing. Our attention to this unusually close parallel traffic caused us to land without tower clearance. We didn't realize this until clearing runway and holding short of runway 28L. The copilot advised me that he forgot to switch to tower when he looked at frequency holding short of runway 28L. Our SOP is a call at 1000 ft/instruments crosschecked. My response is to call cleared to land as PF. We obviously made an error due to our attention to close parallel traffic. I called the control tower from our operations and tower supervisor advised me that they had a difficult time contacting us but that there was no problem. We have been working more hours with less time off (downtime). This fatigue factor and busy flight phase allowed me to miss an important SOP call which would have avoided this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG SFO WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH PARALLEL TFC AND LWOC.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR AN FMS BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R AT SFO. APCH CTL ADVISED US OF PARALLEL TFC SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND ABOVE US. WE RPTED HIM IN SIGHT. THE COPLT AND I BOTH WATCHED THE CLOSE TFC. HE WAS OBVIOUSLY HIGH AND FAST -- CAME EXACTLY PARALLEL TO US AND THEN IT APPEARED HE WAS GOING AROUND THEN AGAIN STARTED DSCNT TO LNDG. OUR ATTN TO THIS UNUSUALLY CLOSE PARALLEL TFC CAUSED US TO LAND WITHOUT TWR CLRNC. WE DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL CLRING RWY AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28L. THE COPLT ADVISED ME THAT HE FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR WHEN HE LOOKED AT FREQ HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28L. OUR SOP IS A CALL AT 1000 FT/INSTS XCHKED. MY RESPONSE IS TO CALL CLRED TO LAND AS PF. WE OBVIOUSLY MADE AN ERROR DUE TO OUR ATTN TO CLOSE PARALLEL TFC. I CALLED THE CTL TWR FROM OUR OPS AND TWR SUPVR ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CONTACTING US BUT THAT THERE WAS NO PROB. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING MORE HRS WITH LESS TIME OFF (DOWNTIME). THIS FATIGUE FACTOR AND BUSY FLT PHASE ALLOWED ME TO MISS AN IMPORTANT SOP CALL WHICH WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT.

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.