Narrative:

Descending into ord, we were being vectored by ord approach control. He called traffic ahead, and when we acquired visual contact, he cleared us for a visual approach to runway 4R, behind the traffic. He also directed us to switch to the tower at rekks (FAF for ILS 4R), about 4 NM ahead. We were concentrating on keeping the traffic in sight, configuring the aircraft for landing, and completing the before landing checklist. Radio traffic was heavy and neither of us realized we had failed to contact the tower until landing rollout. We switched to ground control and received taxi instructions without comment. The first officer commented that he previously included 'cleared to land' as part of the landing check, but due to FAA/company strongly discouraging any extraneous remarks while reading the checklist, he had discontinued the practice. Correction action: 1) I recommend that the ATC manual be revised to discontinue the practice of issuing 'contact XXX at YYY' instructions. It's not a common practice and, when it is used, it's too easy to become distracted with other duties prior to reaching the contact point/time. 2) I suggest the FAA be more flexible in its checklist usage. Non checklist verbiage, pertinent to the flight, should be allowed as long as the proper checklist response is included.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO ORD, WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY ORD APCH CTL. HE CALLED TFC AHEAD, AND WHEN WE ACQUIRED VISUAL CONTACT, HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4R, BEHIND THE TFC. HE ALSO DIRECTED US TO SWITCH TO THE TWR AT REKKS (FAF FOR ILS 4R), ABOUT 4 NM AHEAD. WE WERE CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING THE TFC IN SIGHT, CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG, AND COMPLETING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. RADIO TFC WAS HVY AND NEITHER OF US REALIZED WE HAD FAILED TO CONTACT THE TWR UNTIL LNDG ROLLOUT. WE SWITCHED TO GND CTL AND RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT COMMENT. THE FO COMMENTED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY INCLUDED 'CLRED TO LAND' AS PART OF THE LNDG CHK, BUT DUE TO FAA/COMPANY STRONGLY DISCOURAGING ANY EXTRANEOUS REMARKS WHILE READING THE CHKLIST, HE HAD DISCONTINUED THE PRACTICE. CORRECTION ACTION: 1) I RECOMMEND THAT THE ATC MANUAL BE REVISED TO DISCONTINUE THE PRACTICE OF ISSUING 'CONTACT XXX AT YYY' INSTRUCTIONS. IT'S NOT A COMMON PRACTICE AND, WHEN IT IS USED, IT'S TOO EASY TO BECOME DISTRACTED WITH OTHER DUTIES PRIOR TO REACHING THE CONTACT POINT/TIME. 2) I SUGGEST THE FAA BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN ITS CHKLIST USAGE. NON CHKLIST VERBIAGE, PERTINENT TO THE FLT, SHOULD BE ALLOWED AS LONG AS THE PROPER CHKLIST RESPONSE IS INCLUDED.

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.