Citationjet (C525/C526) - CJ I / II / III / IV
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Landing Without Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
Citationjet was an IFR arrival on visual approach to Runway XXL. The Local Controller took the automated handoff from [the TRACON] and then waited for the aircraft to call on frequency. Then there was a low altitude alert and [the TRACON] called and told us to issue it. Local Control [LC] told [the TRACON] we weren't talking to him. The aircraft continued to come in towards the airport. He was opposite direction to LC2's downwind traffic. LC2 had to start moving aircraft out of the Citation's way. LC1 continued to try and contact the Citation. I called [the TRACON] and told them we were still not talking to the aircraft and that he may go around because he didn't have a landing clearance; and they told me they had already switched him. This is not uncommon for [the TRACON] to give late frequency changes to IFR arrivals; so we were not completely concerned until the aircraft was on a 1 mile final and still could not be contacted. LC1 then realized this was a problem and had to concentrate on getting a previous arrival off the runway before the Citation crossed the threshold. It was a tight squeeze. I was busy watching this close situation. LC2 was watching the situation and working their moderate traffic. The Citation landed and then rolled out to Taxiway A; exited and contacted me on Ground Control. I questioned him about whether he had radio issues and then issued a Brasher Statement. Later after management had listened to tapes; it was discovered that [the TRACON] had given the aircraft the wrong frequency per the LOA. [The TRACON] does this frequently. It was also discovered that the Citation had called in on the wrong frequency which was LC2. LC2 must not have heard it because they were busy moving aircraft out of the Citation's way. [The TRACON] caused the whole series of events by not following the LOA and we were complacent caused by [the TRACON's] routine late frequency changes; waiting too long with no time to do the things that were suggested. My recommendation is to come down hard on the TRACON and give them all remedial training on the LOA.
I was working Local 2. I heard the Ground Controller coordinate with the TRACON but did not hear the specifics of the coordination. Local 1 coordinated with me to allow the IFR 10 miles North of the airport straight in to his runway. I approved. About 1 minute went past. After making several transmissions to the aircraft in my control I saw a large aircraft flying opposite the right downwind which is my control. I asked the Local 1 Controller to turn the large aircraft left to line up with the final approach course. He said he was not talking to him. I gave traffic to the #1 aircraft on right downwind and advised him to widen his downwind to the left to avoid the Citation. At the time I had 2 similar sounding call signs on frequency; ABCD and ABCE. I gave traffic to the ABCD who was departing the runway instead of ABCE who was #1 on right downwind. I quickly reissued traffic and control instructions to the correct aircraft. The IFR Citation landed on Runway XXL without a landing clearance or without even talking to the Local 1 Controller. After reviewing the tapes; the IFR did contact me once with call sign and visual approach. I realized that I did not hear him because I was coordinating with the Local 1 Controller at the time to turn him into the final approach course and away from my downwind. The IFR reached out only once and did not have clearance to land. Educate the pilots to check in with the next frequency as soon as possible to avoid any unsafe situations.
Tower Controller described a runway separation infraction when IFR inbound traffic was issued a late frequency change by the TRACON and landed without clearance; the reporter listed LOA non-compliance as a factor.