Narrative:

On scheduled flight from ord to bna, VFR WX, last leg of a 4-LEG day which began early am. Captain and first officer both fresh out of IOE and still learning a great deal about FMC operation. From cruise altitude ATC assigns dscnts with crossing restrictions. FMC doesn't accept crossing inputs causing much crew distraction and heads down flying. As a result aircraft is left high and fast as crew identification becoming overloaded approaching airport. FMC continues to perplex crew and flight crew is approaching 10000' well above 250 KTS (first officer flying, captain on radios). After slowing, bna approach calls VFR traffic near airport, which further distracts crew. Bna approach cleared aircraft for close in visibility to 20R (joined final inside OM). Neither crew member recalls behind handed off to tower. Approach is continued to a normal landing, and upon taxi-in, crew realizes they never contacted the tower nor received landing clearance. Ground controller says it's ok, and captain apologizes to tower supervisor after parking via phone. Failure to contact tower was simply caused by the crew's overloaded cockpit. They were both being distracted by the FMC some 80 mi out. The plane was caught high and fast, so extra measures had to be taken to slow and descent. Bna approach may very well have neglected to handoff crew to tower, and crew was also busy looking for VFR target near same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT BNA.

Narrative: ON SCHEDULED FLT FROM ORD TO BNA, VFR WX, LAST LEG OF A 4-LEG DAY WHICH BEGAN EARLY AM. CAPT AND F/O BOTH FRESH OUT OF IOE AND STILL LEARNING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT FMC OPERATION. FROM CRUISE ALT ATC ASSIGNS DSCNTS WITH XING RESTRICTIONS. FMC DOESN'T ACCEPT XING INPUTS CAUSING MUCH CREW DISTR AND HEADS DOWN FLYING. AS A RESULT ACFT IS LEFT HIGH AND FAST AS CREW ID BECOMING OVERLOADED APCHING ARPT. FMC CONTINUES TO PERPLEX CREW AND FLT CREW IS APCHING 10000' WELL ABOVE 250 KTS (F/O FLYING, CAPT ON RADIOS). AFTER SLOWING, BNA APCH CALLS VFR TFC NEAR ARPT, WHICH FURTHER DISTRACTS CREW. BNA APCH CLRED ACFT FOR CLOSE IN VIS TO 20R (JOINED FINAL INSIDE OM). NEITHER CREW MEMBER RECALLS BEHIND HANDED OFF TO TWR. APCH IS CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG, AND UPON TAXI-IN, CREW REALIZES THEY NEVER CONTACTED THE TWR NOR RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. GND CTLR SAYS IT'S OK, AND CAPT APOLOGIZES TO TWR SUPVR AFTER PARKING VIA PHONE. FAILURE TO CONTACT TWR WAS SIMPLY CAUSED BY THE CREW'S OVERLOADED COCKPIT. THEY WERE BOTH BEING DISTRACTED BY THE FMC SOME 80 MI OUT. THE PLANE WAS CAUGHT HIGH AND FAST, SO EXTRA MEASURES HAD TO BE TAKEN TO SLOW AND DSCNT. BNA APCH MAY VERY WELL HAVE NEGLECTED TO HDOF CREW TO TWR, AND CREW WAS ALSO BUSY LOOKING FOR VFR TARGET NEAR SAME ALT.

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.