Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach by approach control to proceed direct to rikky (en) then straight in. They told us to switch to tower in the same transmission. We had been talking about padding our approach speed due to winds gusting to 26 KTS. We got distraction in planning the approach and did not get a final clearance to land. We stayed on approach control and went from there to ground control to taxi in. It took us all by surprise and was a first for all 3 of us. Supplemental information from acn 381517: I forgot to switch to tower frequency. We switched to ground after landing and were told to call tower on the phone. Supplemental information from acn 381639: I recollected that we didn't get an updated wind report on final (because we hadn't switched to tower), but did not make that connection. Captain turns on landing light inbound when cleared to land. I looked up and observed the switches on to confirm landing clearance received by captain. He remembered turning them on thinking he had been cleared to land. There was a lot of radio information passed in a short time from approach control to aircraft, followed by a 'cleared for visual runway 32.' this was quickly followed by turn to final and landing checklist, which is similar to events when switched to tower. Final checklist, turn to final, cleared to land. This is what led the 3 person crew to fail to switch. Visuals are great set-ups for errors and I try to avoid them. They are ok at home field, but strange airports, short turn-INS, and non standard approachs don't do any pilot a favor. Totally our mistake but....

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC PERFORMS AN UNAUTH LNDG. NO LNDG CLRNC RECEIVED. PIC FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ AS TOLD BY APCH CTLR. CREW CITES DISTR IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO PLANNING FOR A GUSTY XWIND LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH BY APCH CTL TO PROCEED DIRECT TO RIKKY (EN) THEN STRAIGHT IN. THEY TOLD US TO SWITCH TO TWR IN THE SAME XMISSION. WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT PADDING OUR APCH SPD DUE TO WINDS GUSTING TO 26 KTS. WE GOT DISTR IN PLANNING THE APCH AND DID NOT GET A FINAL CLRNC TO LAND. WE STAYED ON APCH CTL AND WENT FROM THERE TO GND CTL TO TAXI IN. IT TOOK US ALL BY SURPRISE AND WAS A FIRST FOR ALL 3 OF US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 381517: I FORGOT TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. WE SWITCHED TO GND AFTER LNDG AND WERE TOLD TO CALL TWR ON THE PHONE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 381639: I RECOLLECTED THAT WE DIDN'T GET AN UPDATED WIND RPT ON FINAL (BECAUSE WE HADN'T SWITCHED TO TWR), BUT DID NOT MAKE THAT CONNECTION. CAPT TURNS ON LNDG LIGHT INBOUND WHEN CLRED TO LAND. I LOOKED UP AND OBSERVED THE SWITCHES ON TO CONFIRM LNDG CLRNC RECEIVED BY CAPT. HE REMEMBERED TURNING THEM ON THINKING HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIO INFO PASSED IN A SHORT TIME FROM APCH CTL TO ACFT, FOLLOWED BY A 'CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 32.' THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY TURN TO FINAL AND LNDG CHKLIST, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO EVENTS WHEN SWITCHED TO TWR. FINAL CHKLIST, TURN TO FINAL, CLRED TO LAND. THIS IS WHAT LED THE 3 PERSON CREW TO FAIL TO SWITCH. VISUALS ARE GREAT SET-UPS FOR ERRORS AND I TRY TO AVOID THEM. THEY ARE OK AT HOME FIELD, BUT STRANGE ARPTS, SHORT TURN-INS, AND NON STANDARD APCHS DON'T DO ANY PLT A FAVOR. TOTALLY OUR MISTAKE BUT....

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.