CAPT OF AN LGT ACR ACFT MAKES MISSED APCH GAR DURING A VISUAL APCH BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW IF THE TWR HAD GIVEN LNDG AUTHORIZATION.

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OUR CLRNC WAS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO ATL RWY 27. WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT TWR AT THE MARKER. AS CAPT; I WAS FLYING AND HEARD THE FO MAKE SEVERAL XMISSIONS OVER THE RADIO FOR LNDG CLRNC. HAVING COMPLETED BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST; I ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY OUR LNDG CLRNC WHICH HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN. I HEARD NO RESPONSE FROM EITHER THE FO OR SO; EXCEPT A BRIEF RADIO XMISSION ABOUT WRONG FREQ OR WRONG AGENCY. AT APPROX 200 FT AGL; I INITIATED A GAR; CALLED FOR MISSED APCH; BEGAN COMPLYING AND ASKED THE FO TO ASK TWR FOR FURTHER MISSED INSTRUCTIONS. WE COMPLIED; MADE ANOTHER APCH AND LANDED. DURING TAXI IN I BELIEVE GND ASKED US SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND; HOWEVER WE WERE OFF FREQ AND THE FO STATED WE WERE NOT CHANNELIZED. I WAITED TILL WE WERE AT THE GATE; AND BEING ON THE WRONG FREQ WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER WAS HIS REPLY. I FELT OUR GATE DISCUSSION AND DEBRIEFING TO BE SATISFACTORY AS TO ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION. WHATEVER THE FO DID TO GET ON THE WRONG FREQ WAS INADVERTENT AND UNINTENTIONAL. THIS GAR DECISION WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHEN IN DOUBT; MAKE THE DECISION IN FAVOR OF SAFETY.