Narrative:

Approach gave me vectors for traffic sequencing for runway 10R. I never saw the traffic, but did see an aircraft from a close-in uncontrolled airport west of lansing just about the time approach told me my traffic was no longer a factor and I was cleared straight in for runway 10R. While I was approaching the runway, I decided to check the settings needed for an ILS approach to the runway. I got the airspeed and the flaps setting and came right down the GS. Just short of the runway, the thought crossed my mind that I didn't remember being cleared to land. Then I thought, 'of course, I had been cleared to land when I was given a straight in for runway 10R.' I landed and observed an aircraft several hundred feet off the departure end of the runway and heard them identify themselves on the radio. I turned off the runway onto taxiway C, called ground and told them I was going to the t-hangars. The radio voice said words that didn't make sense at the time, but it sounded like they didn't know where I was. I told them I was on taxiway C. They responded that I might be on taxiway C, but I was also on departure. And so I was. I had never changed the frequency to tower, nor had I talked to the tower, nor had I been cleared by the tower to land. I don't remember being told to change to the tower frequency, although I may have been when I was given the straight-in to runway 10R, since that would have been the obvious time. There wasn't any conflict with other aircraft, although I did land soon after the hawker departed. Fortunately, we were separated by a 7251 ft long runway and a couple of hundred ft vertically. I don't know why I didn't hear the instructions to change to the tower frequency (if, in fact, they were given). Perhaps my observation of the aircraft taking off from the uncontrolled airport distracted me at a critical time. I do think if I hadn't been so intent on getting those 'numbers' for an ILS approach I would have been paying more attention to the fact that I wasn't talking to tower -- nor, more importantly, were they talking to me. One factor that led up to this confusion was the fact that when aircraft approach from the north (as I was), approach usually hands them off to the tower when they are 7 mi north of the airport. In this case, I was vectored west of the airport for traffic sequencing. I was still 7 mi out, but at a point aircraft are usually turned onto the localizer at the time approach gave me the straight-in to runway 10R. I think I was accustomed to already being on the tower frequency in this area. No one asked me to call the tower for a chat, hopefully, it won't go any further. I kept thinking that if they had been concerned about the lack of radio contact during my approach to land, they had 5 mins to call me on the approach frequency to remind me to call the tower. Anyway, maybe you can add this experience into your data bank. It sure did ruin my otherwise nice flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: APCH GAVE ME VECTORS FOR TFC SEQUENCING FOR RWY 10R. I NEVER SAW THE TFC, BUT DID SEE AN ACFT FROM A CLOSE-IN UNCTLED ARPT W OF LANSING JUST ABOUT THE TIME APCH TOLD ME MY TFC WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR AND I WAS CLRED STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 10R. WHILE I WAS APCHING THE RWY, I DECIDED TO CHK THE SETTINGS NEEDED FOR AN ILS APCH TO THE RWY. I GOT THE AIRSPD AND THE FLAPS SETTING AND CAME RIGHT DOWN THE GS. JUST SHORT OF THE RWY, THE THOUGHT CROSSED MY MIND THAT I DIDN'T REMEMBER BEING CLRED TO LAND. THEN I THOUGHT, 'OF COURSE, I HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND WHEN I WAS GIVEN A STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 10R.' I LANDED AND OBSERVED AN ACFT SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OFF THE DEP END OF THE RWY AND HEARD THEM IDENT THEMSELVES ON THE RADIO. I TURNED OFF THE RWY ONTO TXWY C, CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO THE T-HANGARS. THE RADIO VOICE SAID WORDS THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AT THE TIME, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS. I TOLD THEM I WAS ON TXWY C. THEY RESPONDED THAT I MIGHT BE ON TXWY C, BUT I WAS ALSO ON DEP. AND SO I WAS. I HAD NEVER CHANGED THE FREQ TO TWR, NOR HAD I TALKED TO THE TWR, NOR HAD I BEEN CLRED BY THE TWR TO LAND. I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TOLD TO CHANGE TO THE TWR FREQ, ALTHOUGH I MAY HAVE BEEN WHEN I WAS GIVEN THE STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 10R, SINCE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE OBVIOUS TIME. THERE WASN'T ANY CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, ALTHOUGH I DID LAND SOON AFTER THE HAWKER DEPARTED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE SEPARATED BY A 7251 FT LONG RWY AND A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT VERTLY. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE TO THE TWR FREQ (IF, IN FACT, THEY WERE GIVEN). PERHAPS MY OBSERVATION OF THE ACFT TAKING OFF FROM THE UNCTLED ARPT DISTRACTED ME AT A CRITICAL TIME. I DO THINK IF I HADN'T BEEN SO INTENT ON GETTING THOSE 'NUMBERS' FOR AN ILS APCH I WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE FACT THAT I WASN'T TALKING TO TWR -- NOR, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WERE THEY TALKING TO ME. ONE FACTOR THAT LED UP TO THIS CONFUSION WAS THE FACT THAT WHEN ACFT APCH FROM THE N (AS I WAS), APCH USUALLY HANDS THEM OFF TO THE TWR WHEN THEY ARE 7 MI N OF THE ARPT. IN THIS CASE, I WAS VECTORED W OF THE ARPT FOR TFC SEQUENCING. I WAS STILL 7 MI OUT, BUT AT A POINT ACFT ARE USUALLY TURNED ONTO THE LOC AT THE TIME APCH GAVE ME THE STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 10R. I THINK I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO ALREADY BEING ON THE TWR FREQ IN THIS AREA. NO ONE ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR FOR A CHAT, HOPEFULLY, IT WON'T GO ANY FURTHER. I KEPT THINKING THAT IF THEY HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF RADIO CONTACT DURING MY APCH TO LAND, THEY HAD 5 MINS TO CALL ME ON THE APCH FREQ TO REMIND ME TO CALL THE TWR. ANYWAY, MAYBE YOU CAN ADD THIS EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR DATA BANK. IT SURE DID RUIN MY OTHERWISE NICE FLT.

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.