Narrative:

It was the first night for a new procedure called cda (continuous descend approach) for a limited amount of planes from the west coast flying into louisville, ky. It is a programmed arrival procedure requiring exact compliance all the way to virtually touchdown. Flap setting, gear down, and all speeds have a precise time to be initiated, or the arrival procedure does not flow smoothly. Both the first officer and myself were intensely focused on complying with all the procedures that when approach sent us to the tower, aircraft procedures had to be accomplished at exactly the same time. The first officer tried to initiate communication but tower was talking to someone else. We continued to be very busy and I continued with the approach. Upon rollout the tower said 'air carrier X, are you with me' and then cleared us to the ramp. At that time my first officer wondered if we had landing clearance and I said I can't remember one way or the other. The result is that we may have landed without clearance. There was no attempt by tower to contact us on final even though we were on frequency. We attribute this problem to the new and somewhat heavier workload that required a lot of focus in a short period of time. That combined with initial communication contact problems may have led us to land without clearance. We just don't know as sometimes you get cleared but are not sure and usually ask again. This time we did not ask, as we were so focused on the new procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CONDUCTING THE NEW CONTINUOUS DSND APCH, CDA, TO SDF IS UNCERTAIN IF LNDG CLRNC WAS RECEIVED.

Narrative: IT WAS THE FIRST NIGHT FOR A NEW PROC CALLED CDA (CONTINUOUS DSND APCH) FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF PLANES FROM THE WEST COAST FLYING INTO LOUISVILLE, KY. IT IS A PROGRAMMED ARR PROC REQUIRING EXACT COMPLIANCE ALL THE WAY TO VIRTUALLY TOUCHDOWN. FLAP SETTING, GEAR DOWN, AND ALL SPDS HAVE A PRECISE TIME TO BE INITIATED, OR THE ARR PROC DOES NOT FLOW SMOOTHLY. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF WERE INTENSELY FOCUSED ON COMPLYING WITH ALL THE PROCS THAT WHEN APCH SENT US TO THE TWR, ACFT PROCS HAD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME. THE FO TRIED TO INITIATE COM BUT TWR WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE. WE CONTINUED TO BE VERY BUSY AND I CONTINUED WITH THE APCH. UPON ROLLOUT THE TWR SAID 'ACR X, ARE YOU WITH ME' AND THEN CLRED US TO THE RAMP. AT THAT TIME MY FO WONDERED IF WE HAD LNDG CLRNC AND I SAID I CAN'T REMEMBER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. THE RESULT IS THAT WE MAY HAVE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT BY TWR TO CONTACT US ON FINAL EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ON FREQ. WE ATTRIBUTE THIS PROB TO THE NEW AND SOMEWHAT HEAVIER WORKLOAD THAT REQUIRED A LOT OF FOCUS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THAT COMBINED WITH INITIAL COM CONTACT PROBS MAY HAVE LED US TO LAND WITHOUT CLRNC. WE JUST DON'T KNOW AS SOMETIMES YOU GET CLRED BUT ARE NOT SURE AND USUALLY ASK AGAIN. THIS TIME WE DID NOT ASK, AS WE WERE SO FOCUSED ON THE NEW PROC.

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.