Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Conducting approach to Runway 4R. Directed to maintain 2;500 feet and intercept the final approach course. Also; told to maintain 200 KIAS until FAF (DOOIN @ 1;700 feet). We were never cleared for the approach or cleared for the visual. I configured the aircraft with gear down; flaps-1 and speed brakes extended and autopilot off in anticipation of having to 'dive'.  The First Officer; pilot monitoring; tried several times to call Approach but was blocked at each attempt. Just outside of FAF; contact was finally made with Approach who told us to contact Tower and indicated that we had been cleared for the approach when we were directed to intercept final. They did not!!! (There was [another airline] jumpseater who witnessed the approach and subsequent missed who can verify what occurred). We contacted Tower who immediately asked if we could get down. We responded no and [we] initiated a go-around at about 1;500 feet AGL.  This started the next issue. I leveled the aircraft at 1;000 feet; called for gear up; and asked for 170 KIAS. At the same time Tower told us to go to Departure and gave us a frequency switch; which was incorrect. At that point the First Officer and Jumpseater (who was very helpful as he was EWR based and immediately recognized that the frequency was incorrect) were engaged in sorting out the correct frequency. After some confusion; and a call on Guard; we sorted things out and returned for a landing.  This approach episode and subsequent missed approach issue were caused entirely by ATC. The Approach Controller 'thought' he cleared us for the approach and then we were prevented from clarifying the situation because of a congested frequency. The Tower giving us the wrong frequency for the go-around basically put us in a lost comm situation in the middle of a congested flight corridor.
While on approach to EWR; the TRACON failed to clear an air carrier for a Runway 4 approach. When EWR Tower was called late; the flight was too high for a stabilized approach and so executed a go-around.