A DC9 crew distraction by company issues; failed to get landing clearance prior to landing at tpa.

Attributes
ACN	668698
Time
Date	200508
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa.tracon tower : tpa.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa.tracon tower : tpa.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11040 flight time type : 1460
ASRS Report	668698
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	669038
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
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:

Visual approach to tpa runway 18L; with air carrier MD80 converging on visual approach to runway 18R. In addition; a rain shower 5 mi northwest of the field caused some concern. Preoccupation caused a late confign around 1000 ft AGL. I don't remember a call from approach changing us to tower frequency; yet somehow I and the copilot thought we were cleared to land. After landing; I found we were still on approach frequency. No apparent conflicts. We were both preoccupied mentally with impending difficulties at our airline; making it difficult to concentrate on present tasks; but in this cae I think it was the concern as we both converged into a 3-4 mi final. Supplemental information from acn 669038: the landing was uneventful and upon turning off the runway; aircraft control was xferred to the captain; and I began to work the radios. I prompted what I thought was the tower frequency for a switch to ground control. After no response; I checked the frequency and we were still on approach. I switched to tower; and they instructed me to switch to ground. The captain called the tpa tower to apologize. They said that they would pass that along. The captain wasn't sure if we landed with clearance. I thought we had clearance; he probably just hit the frequency change switch by accident setting up the #2 communication to operations frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CREW DISTR BY COMPANY ISSUES; FAILED TO GET LNDG CLRNC PRIOR TO LNDG AT TPA.

Narrative: VISUAL APCH TO TPA RWY 18L; WITH ACR MD80 CONVERGING ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18R. IN ADDITION; A RAIN SHOWER 5 MI NW OF THE FIELD CAUSED SOME CONCERN. PREOCCUPATION CAUSED A LATE CONFIGN AROUND 1000 FT AGL. I DON'T REMEMBER A CALL FROM APCH CHANGING US TO TWR FREQ; YET SOMEHOW I AND THE COPLT THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. AFTER LNDG; I FOUND WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ. NO APPARENT CONFLICTS. WE WERE BOTH PREOCCUPIED MENTALLY WITH IMPENDING DIFFICULTIES AT OUR AIRLINE; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONCENTRATE ON PRESENT TASKS; BUT IN THIS CAE I THINK IT WAS THE CONCERN AS WE BOTH CONVERGED INTO A 3-4 MI FINAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 669038: THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND UPON TURNING OFF THE RWY; ACFT CTL WAS XFERRED TO THE CAPT; AND I BEGAN TO WORK THE RADIOS. I PROMPTED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE TWR FREQ FOR A SWITCH TO GND CTL. AFTER NO RESPONSE; I CHKED THE FREQ AND WE WERE STILL ON APCH. I SWITCHED TO TWR; AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO SWITCH TO GND. THE CAPT CALLED THE TPA TWR TO APOLOGIZE. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD PASS THAT ALONG. THE CAPT WASN'T SURE IF WE LANDED WITH CLRNC. I THOUGHT WE HAD CLRNC; HE PROBABLY JUST HIT THE FREQ CHANGE SWITCH BY ACCIDENT SETTING UP THE #2 COM TO OPS FREQ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.