Narrative:

It's a very short (14 min) flight from sdf to lex. Therefore, by the time you do the takeoff, departure, leveloff, turn towards the airport, do all appropriate checklists and copy ATIS, you become very rushed during the arrival. Even when you are thinking ahead and start the descent and approach early, it is still easy to get behind and get high on the glide path. This is what happened to us this particular night. I was flying the aircraft and the captain was doing the PNF duties and talking on the radios. The WX was very clear and we could see the airport well. I was high and fast and descending with all the drag out at a high descent rate and maneuvering to line up on final. The captain asked approach if we could maneuver on final to help lose altitude and the approach controller told us, 'cleared to do whatever you want.' I managed to line up with the runway on speed, on glide path, and in the landing confign by 1000 ft above the airport. The captain called '1000 ft above.' I believe we became so fixated on the approach that we forgot to call tower. The approach controller did not switch us over to tower and we realized it once we touched down. We missed the normal cues which would have alerted us to our lack of landing clearance, such as: calling to ourselves, 'cleared to land' or turning on the lights. By the time we pulled off the runway, we felt pretty sick at knowing what just happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG -- ACR FLC ON A SHORT BUSY FLT FORGET TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ AND LAND WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: IT'S A VERY SHORT (14 MIN) FLT FROM SDF TO LEX. THEREFORE, BY THE TIME YOU DO THE TKOF, DEP, LEVELOFF, TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT, DO ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND COPY ATIS, YOU BECOME VERY RUSHED DURING THE ARR. EVEN WHEN YOU ARE THINKING AHEAD AND START THE DSCNT AND APCH EARLY, IT IS STILL EASY TO GET BEHIND AND GET HIGH ON THE GLIDE PATH. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO US THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND THE CAPT WAS DOING THE PNF DUTIES AND TALKING ON THE RADIOS. THE WX WAS VERY CLR AND WE COULD SEE THE ARPT WELL. I WAS HIGH AND FAST AND DSNDING WITH ALL THE DRAG OUT AT A HIGH DSCNT RATE AND MANEUVERING TO LINE UP ON FINAL. THE CAPT ASKED APCH IF WE COULD MANEUVER ON FINAL TO HELP LOSE ALT AND THE APCH CTLR TOLD US, 'CLRED TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.' I MANAGED TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY ON SPD, ON GLIDE PATH, AND IN THE LNDG CONFIGN BY 1000 FT ABOVE THE ARPT. THE CAPT CALLED '1000 FT ABOVE.' I BELIEVE WE BECAME SO FIXATED ON THE APCH THAT WE FORGOT TO CALL TWR. THE APCH CTLR DID NOT SWITCH US OVER TO TWR AND WE REALIZED IT ONCE WE TOUCHED DOWN. WE MISSED THE NORMAL CUES WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED US TO OUR LACK OF LNDG CLRNC, SUCH AS: CALLING TO OURSELVES, 'CLRED TO LAND' OR TURNING ON THE LIGHTS. BY THE TIME WE PULLED OFF THE RWY, WE FELT PRETTY SICK AT KNOWING WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

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.