Flight crew failed to contact tower and landed without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	365120
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	365120
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After cleared for the approach, was told to 'contact tower at cegro,' which was still 3 mi away. Got involved in landing checklist and did not switch to tower until after landing. There was no conflict and spacing with other aircraft was adequate. While we had complied with FAA procedures concerning no non relevant conversation at low altitudes, we had, prior to descent been having a conversation concerning union and contract topics, of which the first officer and I have significantly different views. I can only assume that I allowed these thoughts to remain on my mind rather than totally concentrating on my duties at hand. This incident was a notification to me that, in addition to limitations on conversations at low altitude, potentially emotional conversations might best be kept out of the cockpit totally.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILED TO CONTACT TWR AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER CLRED FOR THE APCH, WAS TOLD TO 'CONTACT TWR AT CEGRO,' WHICH WAS STILL 3 MI AWAY. GOT INVOLVED IN LNDG CHKLIST AND DID NOT SWITCH TO TWR UNTIL AFTER LNDG. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND SPACING WITH OTHER ACFT WAS ADEQUATE. WHILE WE HAD COMPLIED WITH FAA PROCS CONCERNING NO NON RELEVANT CONVERSATION AT LOW ALTS, WE HAD, PRIOR TO DSCNT BEEN HAVING A CONVERSATION CONCERNING UNION AND CONTRACT TOPICS, OF WHICH THE FO AND I HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT VIEWS. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT I ALLOWED THESE THOUGHTS TO REMAIN ON MY MIND RATHER THAN TOTALLY CONCENTRATING ON MY DUTIES AT HAND. THIS INCIDENT WAS A NOTIFICATION TO ME THAT, IN ADDITION TO LIMITATIONS ON CONVERSATIONS AT LOW ALT, POTENTIALLY EMOTIONAL CONVERSATIONS MIGHT BEST BE KEPT OUT OF THE COCKPIT TOTALLY.

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.