Narrative:

Aircraft departed a downtown heliport about 10 mi northeast of ZZZ. Approach control was called and we were given a code and 'radar contact.' we were told to approach from the northeast. Approximately 2 mi northeast, I asked my copilot to see if they wanted us to contact tower. He called and they switched us to tower (evidently they forgot). Tower asked us where we were. By this time we were on the numbers of runway 21. Tower had not given us permission to land and we were hovering 100 ft short waiting clearance. We contacted tower on the phone and they stated that the handoff had not occurred from approach control to tower. We talked to the tower chief and he requested we contact tower next time we leave the downtown pad. We agreed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT HELI FLC FINDS THEMSELVES INSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE, BUT NOT IN RADIO COM WITH THE TWR WHEN THE APCH CTLR FAILED TO COORD OR HDOF.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED A DOWNTOWN HELIPORT ABOUT 10 MI NE OF ZZZ. APCH CTL WAS CALLED AND WE WERE GIVEN A CODE AND 'RADAR CONTACT.' WE WERE TOLD TO APCH FROM THE NE. APPROX 2 MI NE, I ASKED MY COPLT TO SEE IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTACT TWR. HE CALLED AND THEY SWITCHED US TO TWR (EVIDENTLY THEY FORGOT). TWR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON THE NUMBERS OF RWY 21. TWR HAD NOT GIVEN US PERMISSION TO LAND AND WE WERE HOVERING 100 FT SHORT WAITING CLRNC. WE CONTACTED TWR ON THE PHONE AND THEY STATED THAT THE HDOF HAD NOT OCCURRED FROM APCH CTL TO TWR. WE TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF AND HE REQUESTED WE CONTACT TWR NEXT TIME WE LEAVE THE DOWNTOWN PAD. WE AGREED.

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.