Flight crew of large transport landing at dfw fails to call tower on a visual approach due to coping with high and tight turn in and approach controller's fail to issue frequency change.

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Attributes
ACN	182569
Time
Date	199107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw tower : las
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	182569
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Turned onto high final to runway 17L at dfw and cleared a visibility to runway 17L by regional approach control, but was not given a tower frequency by approach control. I was very busy getting aircraft slowed up, and down to the runway while keeping sep from aircraft ahead on approach. Did not realize until after landing that we were still on approach frequency and did not to our knowledge receive clearance to land from the tower. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter said that regional approach control is notorious for pressuring pilots to accept the visibility way out. Pilots are reluctant for fear of losing traffic ahead once they fall in behind. Regional approach was running slam dunks, and this preoccupied the capts attention with trying to get the aircraft descended and slowed. Captain presumed that first officer had contacted the tower, but the absence of a handoff from approach control eliminating the prompting that the first officer apparently needed. Reporter said that he normally includes a 'cleared to land check' with his 1000' checklist, but forgot that task due to his concern with flying the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT LNDG AT DFW FAILS TO CALL TWR ON A VISUAL APCH DUE TO COPING WITH HIGH AND TIGHT TURN IN AND APCH CTLR'S FAIL TO ISSUE FREQ CHANGE.

Narrative: TURNED ONTO HIGH FINAL TO RWY 17L AT DFW AND CLRED A VIS TO RWY 17L BY REGIONAL APCH CTL, BUT WAS NOT GIVEN A TWR FREQ BY APCH CTL. I WAS VERY BUSY GETTING ACFT SLOWED UP, AND DOWN TO THE RWY WHILE KEEPING SEP FROM ACFT AHEAD ON APCH. DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL AFTER LNDG THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ AND DID NOT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE RECEIVE CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAID THAT REGIONAL APCH CTL IS NOTORIOUS FOR PRESSURING PLTS TO ACCEPT THE VIS WAY OUT. PLTS ARE RELUCTANT FOR FEAR OF LOSING TFC AHEAD ONCE THEY FALL IN BEHIND. REGIONAL APCH WAS RUNNING SLAM DUNKS, AND THIS PREOCCUPIED THE CAPTS ATTN WITH TRYING TO GET THE ACFT DSNDED AND SLOWED. CAPT PRESUMED THAT F/O HAD CONTACTED THE TWR, BUT THE ABSENCE OF A HDOF FROM APCH CTL ELIMINATING THE PROMPTING THAT THE F/O APPARENTLY NEEDED. RPTR SAID THAT HE NORMALLY INCLUDES A 'CLRED TO LAND CHK' WITH HIS 1000' CHKLIST, BUT FORGOT THAT TASK DUE TO HIS CONCERN WITH FLYING THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.