Narrative:

I was PIC of a cessna 414 en route to lubbock from brownwood, tx. I was cleared into class C airspace and given a squawk code and told to expect runway 17R. Shortly after, the approach controller directed me to discontinue my descent to allow a B737 to come under my plane and on towards the airport. The B737 asked the controller if runway 26 was available and was told that it was not, and to expect runway 17R. Shortly after, the controller asked if I had a visual on the B737 traffic and I responded affirmative. At that point, the controller instructed me to contact tower. The problem that resulted was my visual on the B737 led me to believe that they were still on a left base for runway 17R and that they would be intercepting me prior to my turning final. I kept a vigilant watch on the B737 to make sure that I was not going to obstruct their entry onto the final approach path. After a few moments, I could see visually that the B737 was not going towards runway 17R, rather a straight-in final for runway 26. Having distinctly heard the controller refuse the initial request for runway 26, I became extremely vigilant until I saw the B737 on short final to runway 26. I then turned to a 5 mi left base for runway 17R, turned final, landed runway 17R and contacted ground when off the runway. It was then that I realized I had never contacted the tower and had not received landing clearance. I was asked to contact the tower, which I did, and relayed this information. Many times, I fly into lubbock in the evening and as often as not, I land with approach control and even taxi with approach since there is little traffic. My confusion resulted from the confusing approach instructions from ATC to the inbound B737 and my efforts to insure that I did not interfere with that plane's final approach. My concentration on that situation resulted in my forgetting to contact tower and get landing clearance, which many times is received from approach control. I am very surprised that the tower did not make a call to approach to prompt me to make the frequency change as it was several mins between the instructions to change to tower frequency and my actual landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONCENTRATING ON MAINTAINING VISUAL SPACING FROM A LNDG B737 AT LBB, C414 PLT FORGETS TO CHANGE WHEN DIRECTED TO TWR FREQ FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A CESSNA 414 ENRTE TO LUBBOCK FROM BROWNWOOD, TX. I WAS CLRED INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE AND GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 17R. SHORTLY AFTER, THE APCH CTLR DIRECTED ME TO DISCONTINUE MY DSCNT TO ALLOW A B737 TO COME UNDER MY PLANE AND ON TOWARDS THE ARPT. THE B737 ASKED THE CTLR IF RWY 26 WAS AVAILABLE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT, AND TO EXPECT RWY 17R. SHORTLY AFTER, THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD A VISUAL ON THE B737 TFC AND I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE. AT THAT POINT, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT TWR. THE PROB THAT RESULTED WAS MY VISUAL ON THE B737 LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE STILL ON A L BASE FOR RWY 17R AND THAT THEY WOULD BE INTERCEPTING ME PRIOR TO MY TURNING FINAL. I KEPT A VIGILANT WATCH ON THE B737 TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO OBSTRUCT THEIR ENTRY ONTO THE FINAL APCH PATH. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, I COULD SEE VISUALLY THAT THE B737 WAS NOT GOING TOWARDS RWY 17R, RATHER A STRAIGHT-IN FINAL FOR RWY 26. HAVING DISTINCTLY HEARD THE CTLR REFUSE THE INITIAL REQUEST FOR RWY 26, I BECAME EXTREMELY VIGILANT UNTIL I SAW THE B737 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 26. I THEN TURNED TO A 5 MI L BASE FOR RWY 17R, TURNED FINAL, LANDED RWY 17R AND CONTACTED GND WHEN OFF THE RWY. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I HAD NEVER CONTACTED THE TWR AND HAD NOT RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. I WAS ASKED TO CONTACT THE TWR, WHICH I DID, AND RELAYED THIS INFO. MANY TIMES, I FLY INTO LUBBOCK IN THE EVENING AND AS OFTEN AS NOT, I LAND WITH APCH CTL AND EVEN TAXI WITH APCH SINCE THERE IS LITTLE TFC. MY CONFUSION RESULTED FROM THE CONFUSING APCH INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC TO THE INBOUND B737 AND MY EFFORTS TO INSURE THAT I DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THAT PLANE'S FINAL APCH. MY CONCENTRATION ON THAT SIT RESULTED IN MY FORGETTING TO CONTACT TWR AND GET LNDG CLRNC, WHICH MANY TIMES IS RECEIVED FROM APCH CTL. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT THE TWR DID NOT MAKE A CALL TO APCH TO PROMPT ME TO MAKE THE FREQ CHANGE AS IT WAS SEVERAL MINS BTWN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ AND MY ACTUAL LNDG.

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.