B737-300 flight crew fails to contact tower when handed off by approach. Land without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	331540
Time
Date	199603
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phx tracon : lex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	331540
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 24075 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	331306
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a power plant visual approach to runway 26R at phx after approach control handed us off to local control tower, we became distracted by traffic and neglected to check in with the control tower and thus landed without a landing clearance. The tower had us on radar at all times and the situation presented no problems whatsoever. A contributing factor was traffic on a parallel approach to runway 26R. Being told to hold 170 KTS until passing the power plant, which is too fast for so close in. The captain had preselected the wrong tower frequency and was in the middle of a checklist when told to switch over to tower. After landing, the captain took control of the aircraft for the taxi in and I called ground, whereupon he informed us the tower had been trying to reach us. Prevention would be helped by less number of tower frequencys available and greater vigilance by the cockpit crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC FAILS TO CONTACT TWR WHEN HANDED OFF BY APCH. LAND WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE ON A PWR PLANT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R AT PHX AFTER APCH CTL HANDED US OFF TO LCL CTL TWR, WE BECAME DISTRACTED BY TFC AND NEGLECTED TO CHK IN WITH THE CTL TWR AND THUS LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. THE TWR HAD US ON RADAR AT ALL TIMES AND THE SIT PRESENTED NO PROBS WHATSOEVER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS TFC ON A PARALLEL APCH TO RWY 26R. BEING TOLD TO HOLD 170 KTS UNTIL PASSING THE PWR PLANT, WHICH IS TOO FAST FOR SO CLOSE IN. THE CAPT HAD PRESELECTED THE WRONG TWR FREQ AND WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHKLIST WHEN TOLD TO SWITCH OVER TO TWR. AFTER LNDG, THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FOR THE TAXI IN AND I CALLED GND, WHEREUPON HE INFORMED US THE TWR HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH US. PREVENTION WOULD BE HELPED BY LESS NUMBER OF TWR FREQS AVAILABLE AND GREATER VIGILANCE BY THE COCKPIT CREW.

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.