Narrative:

On a previous trip together, the first officer confessed some weakness in flying skills and asked for help. I was busy helping the first officer set up the visual approach to runway 26L when approach controller handed us off to phx tower on base. First officer was letting speed decay and not controling the glide path very well, and I got busy getting her back on to a stabilized approach, and never checked in with phx tower. It wasn't until we contacted ground off the runway that I realized we'd landed without a landing clearance. Tower asked us to call when we were at the gate. I called, explained, apologized profusely. Tower said it was a good thing that it was a slow time - we could have caused real problems - but, 'no harm, no foul.' I apologized again and learned a valuable lesson about maintaining situational awareness, inside and out of the cockpit. There is a real reluctance on most pilot's part to take an airplane away from PF - most prefer to 'talk through' the problems. But, I was devoting all attention toward sharpening this pilot's flying skills and confidence, at the expense of aircraft safety. Another thing that I am finding, is that new coplts whose first right seat job is in glass aircraft are not taught basic skills, ie, pitch: power settings for climbs, level offs, dscnts, approachs. They aren't taught how to calculate descent paths. They are taught to fly with the flight director on from takeoff to touchdown, and rely on the computer for everything. I strongly feel that some basic attitude instrument flying should be incorporated into the training syllabus and also required during initial chkout in any glass cockpit aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG - THE CAPT WAS SO ENGROSSED INSTRUCTING THE FO THAT HE FORGOT TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: ON A PREVIOUS TRIP TOGETHER, THE FO CONFESSED SOME WEAKNESS IN FLYING SKILLS AND ASKED FOR HELP. I WAS BUSY HELPING THE FO SET UP THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26L WHEN APCH CTLR HANDED US OFF TO PHX TWR ON BASE. FO WAS LETTING SPD DECAY AND NOT CTLING THE GLIDE PATH VERY WELL, AND I GOT BUSY GETTING HER BACK ON TO A STABILIZED APCH, AND NEVER CHKED IN WITH PHX TWR. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE CONTACTED GND OFF THE RWY THAT I REALIZED WE'D LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. TWR ASKED US TO CALL WHEN WE WERE AT THE GATE. I CALLED, EXPLAINED, APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY. TWR SAID IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT IT WAS A SLOW TIME - WE COULD HAVE CAUSED REAL PROBS - BUT, 'NO HARM, NO FOUL.' I APOLOGIZED AGAIN AND LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON ABOUT MAINTAINING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, INSIDE AND OUT OF THE COCKPIT. THERE IS A REAL RELUCTANCE ON MOST PLT'S PART TO TAKE AN AIRPLANE AWAY FROM PF - MOST PREFER TO 'TALK THROUGH' THE PROBS. BUT, I WAS DEVOTING ALL ATTN TOWARD SHARPENING THIS PLT'S FLYING SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE, AT THE EXPENSE OF ACFT SAFETY. ANOTHER THING THAT I AM FINDING, IS THAT NEW COPLTS WHOSE FIRST R SEAT JOB IS IN GLASS ACFT ARE NOT TAUGHT BASIC SKILLS, IE, PITCH: PWR SETTINGS FOR CLBS, LEVEL OFFS, DSCNTS, APCHS. THEY AREN'T TAUGHT HOW TO CALCULATE DSCNT PATHS. THEY ARE TAUGHT TO FLY WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR ON FROM TKOF TO TOUCHDOWN, AND RELY ON THE COMPUTER FOR EVERYTHING. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT SOME BASIC ATTITUDE INST FLYING SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE TRAINING SYLLABUS AND ALSO REQUIRED DURING INITIAL CHKOUT IN ANY GLASS COCKPIT 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.