Narrative:

An uneventful landing at our planned destination airport luis munoz marin international, san juan, puerto rico (sju-tjsj) was completed while still on approach frequency (without tower clearance). After receiving clearance for a visual approach, we became preoccupied with briefing the local approach procedures. This was my first approach and landing at sju and I am new on the equipment on which I am now flying. The first officer flew the approach and conducted the landing while I monitored and handled the radios. My attention was primarily focused on the ILS approach to runway 10 with a visual transition at approximately 500 ft to landing on runway 8. The fact that we were still on approach went unnoticed by both of us. After landing the first officer asked, who he thought was tower, (approach) if they wanted us to contact ground control and they simply replied 'contact ground control' without further comment. Ground control cleared us to our gate without comment. Neither of us recall approach control directing us to contact tower. It appeared that we were the only aircraft in the airport traffic area and the only active aircraft on the ground after landing. The tower controller was contacted by phone and advised that there was no conflict or problem with the landing and that he attempted to call and clear us to land during our landing. Contributing factors: 1) captain new on equipment (55 hours). 2) captain's first time into airport (sju). 3) preoccupation with monitoring first officer flying approach. 4) no handoff by approach to tower. I will now check the frequency in the radio in use at 1000 ft AGL on final when the last checklist item is completed to assure that it is in fact tower frequency. When in doubt about landing clearance, I will ask again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT OUR PLANNED DEST ARPT LUIS MUNOZ MARIN INTL, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (SJU-TJSJ) WAS COMPLETED WHILE STILL ON APCH FREQ (WITHOUT TWR CLRNC). AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH, WE BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH BRIEFING THE LCL APCH PROCS. THIS WAS MY FIRST APCH AND LNDG AT SJU AND I AM NEW ON THE EQUIP ON WHICH I AM NOW FLYING. THE FO FLEW THE APCH AND CONDUCTED THE LNDG WHILE I MONITORED AND HANDLED THE RADIOS. MY ATTN WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 10 WITH A VISUAL TRANSITION AT APPROX 500 FT TO LNDG ON RWY 8. THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL ON APCH WENT UNNOTICED BY BOTH OF US. AFTER LNDG THE FO ASKED, WHO HE THOUGHT WAS TWR, (APCH) IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTACT GND CTL AND THEY SIMPLY REPLIED 'CONTACT GND CTL' WITHOUT FURTHER COMMENT. GND CTL CLRED US TO OUR GATE WITHOUT COMMENT. NEITHER OF US RECALL APCH CTL DIRECTING US TO CONTACT TWR. IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT IN THE ARPT TFC AREA AND THE ONLY ACTIVE ACFT ON THE GND AFTER LNDG. THE TWR CTLR WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT OR PROB WITH THE LNDG AND THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO CALL AND CLR US TO LAND DURING OUR LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CAPT NEW ON EQUIP (55 HRS). 2) CAPT'S FIRST TIME INTO ARPT (SJU). 3) PREOCCUPATION WITH MONITORING FO FLYING APCH. 4) NO HDOF BY APCH TO TWR. I WILL NOW CHK THE FREQ IN THE RADIO IN USE AT 1000 FT AGL ON FINAL WHEN THE LAST CHKLIST ITEM IS COMPLETED TO ASSURE THAT IT IS IN FACT TWR FREQ. WHEN IN DOUBT ABOUT LNDG CLRNC, I WILL ASK AGAIN.

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.