Landing without clearance

[Hemispheres]

Last night after we landed, we realized we may have not received a landing clearance. We were with approach and were never handed off to tower. As we were exiting the runway we were still on approach control freq. and they advised us to contact ground. We were never advised to call the tower via a phone call. No excuses offered but it had been a long day with multiple stops. Needless to say I have been dwelling on this all day. I have not filled out the NASA safety form. Can someone provide me with a link so I can print the form. If the infraction is validated, what is the gravity of the situation. Also from what I remember, I think one individual may have been working approach, tower, and ground.

 

[semperfido]

you will be shot at dawn

 

[Flying Illini]

been there...they guy working the freqs probably thought he had cleared you to land (or forgot whether he had or not) and just let it go. Mine while CFIing was late at night. Nothing ever came of it...this was before I knew about the NASA forms. I guess I got lucky. If tower/approach didn't make a big deal about it, then you are probably OK, but filling out a NASA form wouldn't hurt you.

 

[GIVDrvr]

These situations can go either way...most times its a case of 'thanks for doing what we were supposed to tell you to do' and no harm no foul and everybody is happy. But if you cause an AMASS alert or other incident or if you had landed on the wrong runway then that's usually addressed more seriously. File the NASA but be vague as possible about the time of day just in case they try to pull the data. Remember filing NASA saves you the punitive suspension but not the recorded infraction on your record.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I've done that twice in my career. Never heard about either time with the exception of being debriefed over the phone by someone in my company's safety department as a result of my JSAP report.

Technically it's a runway incursion.

Fill out a NASA form (you should carry those with you.) Mail it and then forget it.

 

[Hemispheres]

Thanks to all for the responses so far. It was late evening around 1030pm, and I do not recall much traffic in the area. So I feel comfortable no bells or whistles were sounded. Again we are remiss but approach never told us to contact tower. I looked in the FAR's for a NASA form but not to be found. I will commence my web search soon.

 

[HMR]

This link should do it. You can download the form and print as necessary.

 

[GIVDrvr]

asrs.arc.nasa.gov/forms/PDF_Files/general.pdf

Try this...good luck. Most controllers realize we are trying to get thru the day
just like they are.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Dammit HMR beat me to it..well good luck anyway

 

[imacdog]

You were probably talking to the tower controller the whole time, and they get tired and forgetful just as we can at odd hours. The NASA forum is a nice precaution, but in my opinion, no harm no foul. I have talked to approach/tower/ground guys numerous times on my early morning flights.

 

[CarjCapt]

Lost com

Just consider this, since you are cleared (IFR) from airport to airport and you lose communication, you land. If there isn't conflict you are home free. NASA form is for insurance.

 

[Brett Hull]

Have you considered calling the tower and speaking with the controller on duty? As imacdog said, he was probably the only guy in the tower. Maybe one quick phone call could alleviate your concerns. He may not even know he didn't clear you to land.

 

[bigD]

Every controller I've ever talked to has said that they won't ever turn in a pilot (that may have done something wrong) unless the pilot is just plain being an @sshole, or has caused some huge problem by making the mistake.

Sounds to me like it's no biggie at all. I'm with Brett - maybe call the tower and talk to them to ease your worry?

 

[Flying Fever]

Just like Imacdog, after 10PM I've landed at several airports where one guy did it all from tower postion. I think if you should have been on the tower freq, app would not have told you call gnd clearing the runway. That would have been the time they would have said call the tower on the phone when you get in if you had been at fault.

One story.........

We were doing an ILS to a small towered airport one afternoon and APP, located at another Airport, was lazy and wouldn't give us vectors to the loc, we were cleared for the full app, I ask for vectors and he said naw.....I think the game must of been on or something, but turning inbound APP told us to contact the tower. Previously I had called the FBO on unicom to give them a heads up for a quick turn. After several calls to tower with no response I called APP back and told them no response from tower on so and so freq. He said to call back, I know they are there, talked on land line few minutes ago, so back I go, about 3 mile final. Still no reply from Tower, much less landing clearance, then FBO comes up on the #2 says he hears us on his scanner on tower freq and he'll call the tower on the land line. We've heard no traffic, seen no traffic and in the clear and got the runway in sight and debating weither to land or not. We feel we're safe as far as traffic goes and continue figuring some kind of radio failure somewhere. About 3 seconds before the wheels touch down we get a quick "cleared to land" from a male voice and land. Clearing the runway he tells us to contact gnd and gnd is a female voice. I convienced we caught them with their pants down......sort to speak..... at least it's a nice thought.

 

[CitationLover]

been there...they guy working the freqs probably thought he had cleared you to land (or forgot whether he had or not) and just let it go. Mine while CFIing was late at night. Nothing ever came of it...this was before I knew about the NASA forms. I guess I got lucky. If tower/approach didn't make a big deal about it, then you are probably OK, but filling out a NASA form wouldn't hurt you.

you were a CFI and didn't know about NASA forms?!?!

man i had one in my bag at all times....you must have super students at Illinois. good luck today in the semi's!

 

[FN FAL]

Although many of us have or will make that mistake once, I'd take that advice of the NASA form.

It wasn't too long ago that I was reading the case of a guy that got suspended for not contacting tower after crossing the FAF.

 

[NuGuy]

A controller once told me that if they wrote up a pilot every time they landed without a clearance, they would never get any real work done, and this was at CLT.

It happens. Unless you caused a deal, you're probably ok. You have to be a real tool and cause some kind of loss of separation and/or the "snitch" goes off to get written up, and thats only because the controller is on the line too.

I understand it's a gigantic pain in the a$$ for the controller too, but the ones here would be in a better position to say.

Nu

 

[soarby007]

If it was a problem, they would have had you call them on the phone.

I remember a guy who landed at the wrong airport a couple of years ago in West Texas. It was a controlled field at 11:00pm and he meant to land at an uncontrolled field 10 miles away. The FO kept telling the captain it didn't look right. After they landed and saw Southwest Airlines taxing around, they called ground. I think the tower called it a draw as they didn't even see the guy land anyway (they had been on approach). The tower I suppose could have given you a light signal in case this was a situation of lost comm.

You can file the form, but I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[shamrock]

Happens in Atlanta somewhat regularly. We were holding short of 9L a few years back wondering why everyone else was crossing while we were stuck. Well, being the sharp guys that we were, we came up with some pretty good but unflattering names for the Controllers. Only after running out of ideas for names did we notice that we were still on Approach. After switching over, all we got was "Roger Candler 123, cross Nine Left, Lima, point seven five". Guess it wasn't to big a problem.

We sometimes have an ATL Controller come in to talk to our class when during recurrent, and the last slide of his presentation is usually a picture of Tower flashing a green light. "You always have a green light in Atlanta!"