Narrative:

We had diverted to okc due to thunderstorms in dallas. We refueled and were dispatched to land at maximum weight. On approach to dfw we had a discussion on whether we would be below maximum landing weight. It was determined we would be. First officer made a normal approach and landing. After landing we discovered that we had never called the tower. Approach control had never handed us off and with the distraction of the landing weight discussion we did not catch it. Tower or ground never said anything to us. They were very busy with about 40 aircraft on the ground waiting to take off due to WX. Reasons I think this happened are that approach and tower were busier than normal with the WX. Normally if approach did not hand us over, tower would catch it. In the cockpit we got so preoccupied with being legal for landing reference our weight and trying to fly around some of the WX that we did not catch our mistake of not calling the tower. The captain even has a habit of turning on the nose light when cleared to land and checking that at a certain altitude, but that even failed him this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT LANDS AT DFW WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC. APCH CTLR HAD FAILED TO TURN THEM OVER TO TWR. CREW DISTR WITH LNDG WT CONSIDERATIONS, HAD DETOURED AROUND WX WHILE INBOUND.

Narrative: WE HAD DIVERTED TO OKC DUE TO TSTMS IN DALLAS. WE REFUELED AND WERE DISPATCHED TO LAND AT MAX WT. ON APCH TO DFW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON WHETHER WE WOULD BE BELOW MAX LNDG WT. IT WAS DETERMINED WE WOULD BE. FO MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. AFTER LNDG WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD NEVER CALLED THE TWR. APCH CTL HAD NEVER HANDED US OFF AND WITH THE DISTR OF THE LNDG WT DISCUSSION WE DID NOT CATCH IT. TWR OR GND NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO US. THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH ABOUT 40 ACFT ON THE GND WAITING TO TAKE OFF DUE TO WX. REASONS I THINK THIS HAPPENED ARE THAT APCH AND TWR WERE BUSIER THAN NORMAL WITH THE WX. NORMALLY IF APCH DID NOT HAND US OVER, TWR WOULD CATCH IT. IN THE COCKPIT WE GOT SO PREOCCUPIED WITH BEING LEGAL FOR LNDG REF OUR WT AND TRYING TO FLY AROUND SOME OF THE WX THAT WE DID NOT CATCH OUR MISTAKE OF NOT CALLING THE TWR. THE CAPT EVEN HAS A HABIT OF TURNING ON THE NOSE LIGHT WHEN CLRED TO LAND AND CHKING THAT AT A CERTAIN ALT, BUT THAT EVEN FAILED HIM THIS TIME.

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.