Narrative:

Approach control (at 11 mi out) told us to contact tower on 135.0 at 5 DME. We had been airborne over 8 hours inbound from frankfurt, germany. We also had a fuel overburn so I was monitoring that situation closely. We had both the aircraft in front and the field visually at 11 mi out and were cleared for a visual approach. At the time we were given tower frequency, I dialed in 135.0 (dual tuning heads). As we were rolling out on the runway, approach control told us to go over to tower. We called tower with 'clear of runway' as we turned off and they turned us over to ground. All 3 of us were tired (I had worked 9 straight days back and forth to europe). I was very embarrassed and called the tower by phone after in the terminal and apologized. The person I talked to had not heard about it and felt that there was nothing to be concerned about. However, most of my concern is that when fatigued at the end of long trips with disturbed sleep patterns, the level of alertness is substantially decreased. Certainly this is not an excuse, as there is no excuse, but it is contributory. I usually brief the crew to be especially alert during this phase because of fatigue. Supplemental information from acn 370710: after clearing the runway, approach control told us to contact the tower. This was when we realized that we had landed with no clearance. The cause of this problem was that we had all become too preoccupied with the fuel overburn that we missed the frequency change and landing clearance. A factor which may have contributed was that the clearance to change to the tower frequency was given at about 10 mi out, but the frequency change was not to be accomplished until 5 mi out.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER FLYING 9 HRS, A WDB LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC FROM THE TWR AT DTW, MI. FLC FATIGUE IS CITED AS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: APCH CTL (AT 11 MI OUT) TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR ON 135.0 AT 5 DME. WE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE OVER 8 HRS INBOUND FROM FRANKFURT, GERMANY. WE ALSO HAD A FUEL OVERBURN SO I WAS MONITORING THAT SIT CLOSELY. WE HAD BOTH THE ACFT IN FRONT AND THE FIELD VISUALLY AT 11 MI OUT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. AT THE TIME WE WERE GIVEN TWR FREQ, I DIALED IN 135.0 (DUAL TUNING HEADS). AS WE WERE ROLLING OUT ON THE RWY, APCH CTL TOLD US TO GO OVER TO TWR. WE CALLED TWR WITH 'CLR OF RWY' AS WE TURNED OFF AND THEY TURNED US OVER TO GND. ALL 3 OF US WERE TIRED (I HAD WORKED 9 STRAIGHT DAYS BACK AND FORTH TO EUROPE). I WAS VERY EMBARRASSED AND CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE AFTER IN THE TERMINAL AND APOLOGIZED. THE PERSON I TALKED TO HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT IT AND FELT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. HOWEVER, MOST OF MY CONCERN IS THAT WHEN FATIGUED AT THE END OF LONG TRIPS WITH DISTURBED SLEEP PATTERNS, THE LEVEL OF ALERTNESS IS SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED. CERTAINLY THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE, AS THERE IS NO EXCUSE, BUT IT IS CONTRIBUTORY. I USUALLY BRIEF THE CREW TO BE ESPECIALLY ALERT DURING THIS PHASE BECAUSE OF FATIGUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 370710: AFTER CLRING THE RWY, APCH CTL TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR. THIS WAS WHEN WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD LANDED WITH NO CLRNC. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROB WAS THAT WE HAD ALL BECOME TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH THE FUEL OVERBURN THAT WE MISSED THE FREQ CHANGE AND LNDG CLRNC. A FACTOR WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED WAS THAT THE CLRNC TO CHANGE TO THE TWR FREQ WAS GIVEN AT ABOUT 10 MI OUT, BUT THE FREQ CHANGE WAS NOT TO BE ACCOMPLISHED UNTIL 5 MI OUT.

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.