Narrative:

I was the PNF, and we were being vectored for a visual approach for runway 21L at detroit. ATC kept us high and the captain (PF) was going very fast, approximately 210 KTS. The sun was starting to get low on the horizon, and was directly in our eyes. On top of that, there was a very heavy haze layer. While being vectored on a left base for runway 21L, the detroit approach controller asked us if we had the airport in sight. I asked the captain if he had it in sight since he was the PF, which he replied 'no, not yet.' dtw approach control then advised us that we had B757 traffic on our right side that was landing the parallel runway. Now I was busy searching for the B757 traffic as well. Approximately over pukle intersection, which is the FAF for runway 21L, dtw approach control asked us gain if we had the airport in sight, and replied if not, then he would need to break us off of the approach and vector us back for an ILS approach the captain then replied, 'yes he had it in sight,' and I relayed the message to dtw approach control. The dtw approach controller then cleared us for a visual approach to runway 2l1. At approximately pukle intersection we were about 5000 ft and about 200 KTS. The recommended altitude on the GS at pukle intersection as indicated on the ILS approach chart for runway 21L is 2600 ft. We were about twice as high and going way too fast. Immediately, the captain disengaged the autoplt, applied full speed brakes, and called for landing gear down. As soon as the speed permitted he called for flaps to 3 degrees, and a landing check. Since the speed brakes were still fully extended, I was unable to accomplish the landing check, and was fixated on the captain's ability to safely continue this approach. The captain was fighting the right crosswind, which seemed to be blowing us further and further to the left of course. He was very high on the profile with a full GS deflection, and we were descending at an extremely high rate of descent. At 1000 ft, I made the appropriate callout, but we were still not on profile, with a full deflection of the GS, and still left of course, but getting closer to the runway centerline. At approximately 500 ft the flight directors finally captured the localizer and the GS, and we continued the landing. However, in the midst of all this, unstabilized approach, the dtw approach controller forgot to hand us over to the dtw tower controller, and both the captain and I failed to switch to the tower frequency and obtain a landing clearance. After an uneventful landing and exiting the runway, the captain and I realized we had just landed without a landing clearance. I believe the cause of this was for 2 reasons: the first reason was the failure of the approach controller to forget us and not xfer us to the tower frequency. The second reason, the captain and I forgot to call the tower was because the captain was too busy trying to capture the approach profile, and I was too busy watching him to make sure he didn't get us into an unsafe and unrecoverable condition. After arriving at the gate, the captain then phoned the dtw control tower, talked it over with them, and they told him that everything was fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER A DESTABILIZED APCH MADE BY THE PIC WHEN ACCEPTING A VISUAL WITH A HVY HAZE LAYER OUTSIDE THE FAF AT DTW.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF, AND WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 21L AT DETROIT. ATC KEPT US HIGH AND THE CAPT (PF) WAS GOING VERY FAST, APPROX 210 KTS. THE SUN WAS STARTING TO GET LOW ON THE HORIZON, AND WAS DIRECTLY IN OUR EYES. ON TOP OF THAT, THERE WAS A VERY HVY HAZE LAYER. WHILE BEING VECTORED ON A L BASE FOR RWY 21L, THE DETROIT APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD IT IN SIGHT SINCE HE WAS THE PF, WHICH HE REPLIED 'NO, NOT YET.' DTW APCH CTL THEN ADVISED US THAT WE HAD B757 TFC ON OUR R SIDE THAT WAS LNDG THE PARALLEL RWY. NOW I WAS BUSY SEARCHING FOR THE B757 TFC AS WELL. APPROX OVER PUKLE INTXN, WHICH IS THE FAF FOR RWY 21L, DTW APCH CTL ASKED US GAIN IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND REPLIED IF NOT, THEN HE WOULD NEED TO BREAK US OFF OF THE APCH AND VECTOR US BACK FOR AN ILS APCH THE CAPT THEN REPLIED, 'YES HE HAD IT IN SIGHT,' AND I RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO DTW APCH CTL. THE DTW APCH CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2L1. AT APPROX PUKLE INTXN WE WERE ABOUT 5000 FT AND ABOUT 200 KTS. THE RECOMMENDED ALT ON THE GS AT PUKLE INTXN AS INDICATED ON THE ILS APCH CHART FOR RWY 21L IS 2600 FT. WE WERE ABOUT TWICE AS HIGH AND GOING WAY TOO FAST. IMMEDIATELY, THE CAPT DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, APPLIED FULL SPD BRAKES, AND CALLED FOR LNDG GEAR DOWN. AS SOON AS THE SPD PERMITTED HE CALLED FOR FLAPS TO 3 DEGS, AND A LNDG CHK. SINCE THE SPD BRAKES WERE STILL FULLY EXTENDED, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE LNDG CHK, AND WAS FIXATED ON THE CAPT'S ABILITY TO SAFELY CONTINUE THIS APCH. THE CAPT WAS FIGHTING THE R XWIND, WHICH SEEMED TO BE BLOWING US FURTHER AND FURTHER TO THE L OF COURSE. HE WAS VERY HIGH ON THE PROFILE WITH A FULL GS DEFLECTION, AND WE WERE DSNDING AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. AT 1000 FT, I MADE THE APPROPRIATE CALLOUT, BUT WE WERE STILL NOT ON PROFILE, WITH A FULL DEFLECTION OF THE GS, AND STILL L OF COURSE, BUT GETTING CLOSER TO THE RWY CTRLINE. AT APPROX 500 FT THE FLT DIRECTORS FINALLY CAPTURED THE LOC AND THE GS, AND WE CONTINUED THE LNDG. HOWEVER, IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS, UNSTABILIZED APCH, THE DTW APCH CTLR FORGOT TO HAND US OVER TO THE DTW TWR CTLR, AND BOTH THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ AND OBTAIN A LNDG CLRNC. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND EXITING THE RWY, THE CAPT AND I REALIZED WE HAD JUST LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS FOR 2 REASONS: THE FIRST REASON WAS THE FAILURE OF THE APCH CTLR TO FORGET US AND NOT XFER US TO THE TWR FREQ. THE SECOND REASON, THE CAPT AND I FORGOT TO CALL THE TWR WAS BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO CAPTURE THE APCH PROFILE, AND I WAS TOO BUSY WATCHING HIM TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T GET US INTO AN UNSAFE AND UNRECOVERABLE CONDITION. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE, THE CAPT THEN PHONED THE DTW CTL TWR, TALKED IT OVER WITH THEM, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE.

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.