Narrative:

I was returning to syr from bgm, having gone to bgm to visit a friend of mine. On approaching the syr airspace, I received the proper ATIS information, then contacted syr approach. I was recognized, and given a squawk code of kk, and also told to expect vectors for the approach to runway 28. There was a fair amount of traffic, both approaching and departing, and both runways, 32 and 28, were active. At the time I was approaching, there were several other aircraft calling the same frequency as I. I was gradually vectored to the east of the airport, then to the north, then finally told to proceed straight in to runway 28. I was also told to keep my speed up, as there was traffic immediately behind me, also landing on runway 28. During my approach, I was concentrating on both keeping up my speed, as well as descending so as to make the runway. There were several reports by the approach controller of my location to other traffic, but to the best of my recollection, I was never handed off to the tower. I continued my approach, completing an uneventful landing. It was after clearing the runway that I noticed I was still on the approach frequency, and had some difficulty contacting ground due to this. It was as I was taxiing to the ramp that I was given a 'heads up' by the ground controller that I had not received my clearance to land. It is my opinion that there were several factors contributing to this situation. First, my inexperience, both in type and in general. One of the purposes of this flight was to gain further experience in this aircraft, and much of my concentration was in flying the aircraft. In addition, this aircraft has 2 communication radios, with FLIP-flop switching. I had set up the radios to work in a logical order, including the tower, and my experience to this point has been that you always get handed off to the tower, and that is the time you are cleared to land. As I was concentrating on making a fast approach, with a crosswind from the right, the lack of change did not register. Second, a sense of complacency, combined with a lack of training for this particular situation. As previously stated, my experience into syr has been that you always get the handoff from the approach controller to the tower controller, and this controller is the one that clears you to land, or not. In all my time to and from syr, I have never not been handed off to tower. The training I received was that of learning the proper communications protocol, and knowing the frequencys for syr. Not being cleared to land was mentioned, but not emphasized, as it is such a rare occurrence -- usually precipitated by other circumstances leading to a go around. The emphasis was on being able to correctly interpret proactive commands such as 'go around,' and not the interpretation of the lack of proper clrncs or commands.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ACFT LANDS AT SYR, NY, WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE TWR. PLT NEVER SWITCHED OVER TO TWR.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO SYR FROM BGM, HAVING GONE TO BGM TO VISIT A FRIEND OF MINE. ON APCHING THE SYR AIRSPACE, I RECEIVED THE PROPER ATIS INFO, THEN CONTACTED SYR APCH. I WAS RECOGNIZED, AND GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE OF KK, AND ALSO TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS FOR THE APCH TO RWY 28. THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF TFC, BOTH APCHING AND DEPARTING, AND BOTH RWYS, 32 AND 28, WERE ACTIVE. AT THE TIME I WAS APCHING, THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT CALLING THE SAME FREQ AS I. I WAS GRADUALLY VECTORED TO THE E OF THE ARPT, THEN TO THE N, THEN FINALLY TOLD TO PROCEED STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 28. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO KEEP MY SPD UP, AS THERE WAS TFC IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME, ALSO LNDG ON RWY 28. DURING MY APCH, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON BOTH KEEPING UP MY SPD, AS WELL AS DSNDING SO AS TO MAKE THE RWY. THERE WERE SEVERAL RPTS BY THE APCH CTLR OF MY LOCATION TO OTHER TFC, BUT TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, I WAS NEVER HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. I CONTINUED MY APCH, COMPLETING AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IT WAS AFTER CLRING THE RWY THAT I NOTICED I WAS STILL ON THE APCH FREQ, AND HAD SOME DIFFICULTY CONTACTING GND DUE TO THIS. IT WAS AS I WAS TAXIING TO THE RAMP THAT I WAS GIVEN A 'HEADS UP' BY THE GND CTLR THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED MY CLRNC TO LAND. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SIT. FIRST, MY INEXPERIENCE, BOTH IN TYPE AND IN GENERAL. ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THIS FLT WAS TO GAIN FURTHER EXPERIENCE IN THIS ACFT, AND MUCH OF MY CONCENTRATION WAS IN FLYING THE ACFT. IN ADDITION, THIS ACFT HAS 2 COM RADIOS, WITH FLIP-FLOP SWITCHING. I HAD SET UP THE RADIOS TO WORK IN A LOGICAL ORDER, INCLUDING THE TWR, AND MY EXPERIENCE TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN THAT YOU ALWAYS GET HANDED OFF TO THE TWR, AND THAT IS THE TIME YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND. AS I WAS CONCENTRATING ON MAKING A FAST APCH, WITH A XWIND FROM THE R, THE LACK OF CHANGE DID NOT REGISTER. SECOND, A SENSE OF COMPLACENCY, COMBINED WITH A LACK OF TRAINING FOR THIS PARTICULAR SIT. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, MY EXPERIENCE INTO SYR HAS BEEN THAT YOU ALWAYS GET THE HDOF FROM THE APCH CTLR TO THE TWR CTLR, AND THIS CTLR IS THE ONE THAT CLRS YOU TO LAND, OR NOT. IN ALL MY TIME TO AND FROM SYR, I HAVE NEVER NOT BEEN HANDED OFF TO TWR. THE TRAINING I RECEIVED WAS THAT OF LEARNING THE PROPER COMS PROTOCOL, AND KNOWING THE FREQS FOR SYR. NOT BEING CLRED TO LAND WAS MENTIONED, BUT NOT EMPHASIZED, AS IT IS SUCH A RARE OCCURRENCE -- USUALLY PRECIPITATED BY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO A GAR. THE EMPHASIS WAS ON BEING ABLE TO CORRECTLY INTERPRET PROACTIVE COMMANDS SUCH AS 'GAR,' AND NOT THE INTERP OF THE LACK OF PROPER CLRNCS OR COMMANDS.

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.