An air carrier crew in trail of a B747 and concerned about impending wake turbulence failed to notice they were not handed over to lax tower for landing clearance.

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Attributes
ACN	776801
Time
Date	200803
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 187 flight time type : 187
ASRS Report	776801
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 288 flight time type : 2550
ASRS Report	776802
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : wake turbulence non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On approach to runway 24R at lax we were cleared for the visual following a B747 ahead. The first officer noted that the B747 was slightly above the GS; so I was flying about one DOT high on the GS. Even then we could occasionally feel the rough air from the heavy. We were both preoccupied with the wake turbulence avoidance and approach control forgot to hand us over to the tower. We then landed normally and after the rollout realized we were still on the approach frequency and had never been cleared to land. We immediately switched to the tower frequency and tower cleared us to cross runway 24L and contact ground. They did not indicate anything was out of the ordinary. We should have picked up on ATC's failure to hand us over to the tower. Normally; I confirm at 1000 ft that we are cleared to land by checking the landing lights. I was out of my normal sequence because of worrying about the wake turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW IN TRAIL OF A B747 AND CONCERNED ABOUT IMPENDING WAKE TURB FAILED TO NOTICE THEY WERE NOT HANDED OVER TO LAX TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL FOLLOWING A B747 AHEAD. THE FO NOTED THAT THE B747 WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GS; SO I WAS FLYING ABOUT ONE DOT HIGH ON THE GS. EVEN THEN WE COULD OCCASIONALLY FEEL THE ROUGH AIR FROM THE HEAVY. WE WERE BOTH PREOCCUPIED WITH THE WAKE TURBULENCE AVOIDANCE AND APCH CTL FORGOT TO HAND US OVER TO THE TWR. WE THEN LANDED NORMALLY AND AFTER THE ROLLOUT REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON THE APCH FREQUENCY AND HAD NEVER BEEN CLRED TO LAND. WE IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQUENCY AND TWR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 24L AND CONTACT GND. THEY DID NOT INDICATE ANYTHING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WE SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP ON ATC'S FAILURE TO HAND US OVER TO THE TWR. NORMALLY; I CONFIRM AT 1000 FT THAT WE ARE CLRED TO LAND BY CHKING THE LNDG LIGHTS. I WAS OUT OF MY NORMAL SEQUENCE BECAUSE OF WORRYING ABOUT THE WAKE TURBULENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.