Narrative:

Flight from tys to pdk airport. Upon leaving ZTL I contacted atlanta approach. Atlanta approach was handling a low fuel aircraft situation and asked if I could slow down. Upon slowing down they started giving me vectors, and altitude assignments. Further communication with the low fuel aircraft resulted in them not seeing the airport (because of haze), and placed on vectors to follow me. Atlanta approach asked how fast could I maintain till the marker. I responded with 190 KTS which at this time told me to maintain 190 KTS or better. Within 10 mi of the airport and after I told approach I had the airport in sight, I was cleared for the visual for runway 20L. At this time, he (atlanta approach) informed me of cherokee traffic ahead of me on final. I responded that I was looking. After passing (chamb) final approach fix I started the process of slowing down and preparation for the landing. It was at this time about 3.5 to 4 mi on final when I spotted the cherokee traffic. Before I could respond to approach (he) informed me that the traffic was short final and no factor. Approach did not hand me over to tower. If he did, I did not hear him. About this time I had a passenger in the copilot's seat ask me a question on the engine gauges. I answered his question and proceeded with final preparations for landing. After landing at pdx I taxied off the runway onto taxiway D and holding short of runway 20R. I started to contact tower for crossing instructions. This is when I noticed that my #1 communication was still on approach frequency and that I had not switched to my #2 communication tower frequency. I at this time contacted tower and advised them of my localizer and ready to taxi across runway 20R. Tower commented, 'we were wondering where you were?' 'what happened? Did approach switch you too late?' I was flustered, at this point and responded, 'yes they did and I am very sorry!' tower told me to cross runway 20R and contact ground. After contacting ground control and receiving taxi instructions to the ramp, ground control told me 'in the future if approach has not switched me to tower by 5 mi out, I am to do so!' 'we could have had a situation and could not contact you through proper procedures.' I told him, 'I completely understood and this would never happen again.' factors that contributed to this situation were: flying an approach 70 KTS faster than usual. Allowing myself to get into a rush situation on short final. Allowing and answering a question from a passenger in an airport environment. Had my 'mindset.' 'traffic on short final no factor' command is given by the tower, thinking I was on tower. Our company (95 percent of the time) flies 2 pilots and I had gotten in a routine of allowing the copilot to handle all communications. On this particular trip I was flying the aircraft by myself. Did not have a good night's sleep. My day had started at early am and at the time of the incident had put in a 12 hour day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FAILED TO CONTACT THE TWR, AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT FROM TYS TO PDK ARPT. UPON LEAVING ZTL I CONTACTED ATLANTA APCH. ATLANTA APCH WAS HANDLING A LOW FUEL ACFT SIT AND ASKED IF I COULD SLOW DOWN. UPON SLOWING DOWN THEY STARTED GIVING ME VECTORS, AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS. FURTHER COM WITH THE LOW FUEL ACFT RESULTED IN THEM NOT SEEING THE ARPT (BECAUSE OF HAZE), AND PLACED ON VECTORS TO FOLLOW ME. ATLANTA APCH ASKED HOW FAST COULD I MAINTAIN TILL THE MARKER. I RESPONDED WITH 190 KTS WHICH AT THIS TIME TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 190 KTS OR BETTER. WITHIN 10 MI OF THE ARPT AND AFTER I TOLD APCH I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL FOR RWY 20L. AT THIS TIME, HE (ATLANTA APCH) INFORMED ME OF CHEROKEE TFC AHEAD OF ME ON FINAL. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS LOOKING. AFTER PASSING (CHAMB) FINAL APCH FIX I STARTED THE PROCESS OF SLOWING DOWN AND PREPARATION FOR THE LNDG. IT WAS AT THIS TIME ABOUT 3.5 TO 4 MI ON FINAL WHEN I SPOTTED THE CHEROKEE TFC. BEFORE I COULD RESPOND TO APCH (HE) INFORMED ME THAT THE TFC WAS SHORT FINAL AND NO FACTOR. APCH DID NOT HAND ME OVER TO TWR. IF HE DID, I DID NOT HEAR HIM. ABOUT THIS TIME I HAD A PAX IN THE COPLT'S SEAT ASK ME A QUESTION ON THE ENG GAUGES. I ANSWERED HIS QUESTION AND PROCEEDED WITH FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR LNDG. AFTER LNDG AT PDX I TAXIED OFF THE RWY ONTO TXWY D AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 20R. I STARTED TO CONTACT TWR FOR XING INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY #1 COM WAS STILL ON APCH FREQ AND THAT I HAD NOT SWITCHED TO MY #2 COM TWR FREQ. I AT THIS TIME CONTACTED TWR AND ADVISED THEM OF MY LOC AND READY TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 20R. TWR COMMENTED, 'WE WERE WONDERING WHERE YOU WERE?' 'WHAT HAPPENED? DID APCH SWITCH YOU TOO LATE?' I WAS FLUSTERED, AT THIS POINT AND RESPONDED, 'YES THEY DID AND I AM VERY SORRY!' TWR TOLD ME TO CROSS RWY 20R AND CONTACT GND. AFTER CONTACTING GND CTL AND RECEIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RAMP, GND CTL TOLD ME 'IN THE FUTURE IF APCH HAS NOT SWITCHED ME TO TWR BY 5 MI OUT, I AM TO DO SO!' 'WE COULD HAVE HAD A SIT AND COULD NOT CONTACT YOU THROUGH PROPER PROCS.' I TOLD HIM, 'I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD AND THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.' FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT WERE: FLYING AN APCH 70 KTS FASTER THAN USUAL. ALLOWING MYSELF TO GET INTO A RUSH SIT ON SHORT FINAL. ALLOWING AND ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM A PAX IN AN ARPT ENVIRONMENT. HAD MY 'MINDSET.' 'TFC ON SHORT FINAL NO FACTOR' COMMAND IS GIVEN BY THE TWR, THINKING I WAS ON TWR. OUR COMPANY (95 PERCENT OF THE TIME) FLIES 2 PLTS AND I HAD GOTTEN IN A ROUTINE OF ALLOWING THE COPLT TO HANDLE ALL COMS. ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP I WAS FLYING THE ACFT BY MYSELF. DID NOT HAVE A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP. MY DAY HAD STARTED AT EARLY AM AND AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT HAD PUT IN A 12 HR DAY.

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.