Narrative:

It was a scheduled part 121 flight from jfk to pit. I was the PNF and was handling all communications. The final approach controller at pit cleared us for the visual approach to runway xx, and told us to contact the tower. I acknowledged his instructions, keyed in the tower frequency into the active communication radio, but did not call the tower. During the landing rollout pit tower asked us: 'air carrier XXX, how do you hear pittsburgh tower?' I suddenly realized what had happened, and said we heard her loud and clear. The tower then gave us our landing clearance!!! Further conversation with the tower established that fortunately we had not caused a problem by landing without the clearance. Since then I have established a system to remind me of whether landing clearance has been received or not. On completing the before landing checklist, in addition to saying 'before landing checklist complete,' I also add 'cleared to land' if landing clearance has been received. I also enter the ground control frequency in the standby communication frequency channel only upon receipt of landing clearance -- this serves as an additional aid. A contributing factor to the incident was that pit tower did not call us until after we had landed. In previous sits when high pilot/controller workload precluded us from immediately calling the tower when instructed, the tower always called us to see if we were on the frequency. That day neither us nor the tower controller was extremely busy, and I feel the controller could have called us when we did not call her when expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO FORGETTING TO CALL TWR AFTER TUNING IN THE TWR FREQ UPON INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH CTL.

Narrative: IT WAS A SCHEDULED PART 121 FLT FROM JFK TO PIT. I WAS THE PNF AND WAS HANDLING ALL COMS. THE FINAL APCH CTLR AT PIT CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY XX, AND TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS INSTRUCTIONS, KEYED IN THE TWR FREQ INTO THE ACTIVE COM RADIO, BUT DID NOT CALL THE TWR. DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT PIT TWR ASKED US: 'ACR XXX, HOW DO YOU HEAR PITTSBURGH TWR?' I SUDDENLY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND SAID WE HEARD HER LOUD AND CLR. THE TWR THEN GAVE US OUR LNDG CLRNC!!! FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR ESTABLISHED THAT FORTUNATELY WE HAD NOT CAUSED A PROB BY LNDG WITHOUT THE CLRNC. SINCE THEN I HAVE ESTABLISHED A SYS TO REMIND ME OF WHETHER LNDG CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED OR NOT. ON COMPLETING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, IN ADDITION TO SAYING 'BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETE,' I ALSO ADD 'CLRED TO LAND' IF LNDG CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I ALSO ENTER THE GND CTL FREQ IN THE STANDBY COM FREQ CHANNEL ONLY UPON RECEIPT OF LNDG CLRNC -- THIS SERVES AS AN ADDITIONAL AID. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCIDENT WAS THAT PIT TWR DID NOT CALL US UNTIL AFTER WE HAD LANDED. IN PREVIOUS SITS WHEN HIGH PLT/CTLR WORKLOAD PRECLUDED US FROM IMMEDIATELY CALLING THE TWR WHEN INSTRUCTED, THE TWR ALWAYS CALLED US TO SEE IF WE WERE ON THE FREQ. THAT DAY NEITHER US NOR THE TWR CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND I FEEL THE CTLR COULD HAVE CALLED US WHEN WE DID NOT CALL HER WHEN EXPECTED.

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.