Narrative:

At the end of a long day, I failed to obtain landing clearance before landing. My duty day began early XA35 and I landed back in dtw 4 legs later at XO20. This was the final leg in a day in which I logged 10.6 hours of flight time. I was the PF. With me was a first officer new to the DC9 and a jumpseater who was also DC9 qualified. Our instructions were to contact tower at the marker. At 100 ft AGL, I noticed that I hadn't turned the nose gear light to full bright, which I do upon receipt of a landing clearance as an aid to remembering. I remember asking myself if we had been cleared to land and decided we had been. The first officer, upon clearing the runway, made a radio call to which the response was 'still on approach.' we then switched to tower who directed us to ground. No mention of our failure to obtain landing clearance was ever made by any controller. Contributing to the problem was the fact that I maintained maximum speed to the airport, and therefore, configured late. This forced a new first officer to be running checklists when he needed to be calling tower. An additional factor had to be the long duty day with may block hours -- by far the most challenging flight day in recent memory. In order to prevent a recurrence, some consideration should be given to adding 'landing clearance' to the before landing checklist. This would serve to remind the PNF. Also, from now on when my taxi light is still on dim, I'll be asking out loud if landing clearance has been obtained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW DID NOT CHANGE TO TWR FREQ FOR LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: AT THE END OF A LONG DAY, I FAILED TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC BEFORE LNDG. MY DUTY DAY BEGAN EARLY XA35 AND I LANDED BACK IN DTW 4 LEGS LATER AT XO20. THIS WAS THE FINAL LEG IN A DAY IN WHICH I LOGGED 10.6 HRS OF FLT TIME. I WAS THE PF. WITH ME WAS A FO NEW TO THE DC9 AND A JUMPSEATER WHO WAS ALSO DC9 QUALIFIED. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CONTACT TWR AT THE MARKER. AT 100 FT AGL, I NOTICED THAT I HADN'T TURNED THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT TO FULL BRIGHT, WHICH I DO UPON RECEIPT OF A LNDG CLRNC AS AN AID TO REMEMBERING. I REMEMBER ASKING MYSELF IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND AND DECIDED WE HAD BEEN. THE FO, UPON CLRING THE RWY, MADE A RADIO CALL TO WHICH THE RESPONSE WAS 'STILL ON APCH.' WE THEN SWITCHED TO TWR WHO DIRECTED US TO GND. NO MENTION OF OUR FAILURE TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC WAS EVER MADE BY ANY CTLR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB WAS THE FACT THAT I MAINTAINED MAX SPD TO THE ARPT, AND THEREFORE, CONFIGURED LATE. THIS FORCED A NEW FO TO BE RUNNING CHKLISTS WHEN HE NEEDED TO BE CALLING TWR. AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR HAD TO BE THE LONG DUTY DAY WITH MAY BLOCK HOURS -- BY FAR THE MOST CHALLENGING FLT DAY IN RECENT MEMORY. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, SOME CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ADDING 'LNDG CLRNC' TO THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. THIS WOULD SERVE TO REMIND THE PNF. ALSO, FROM NOW ON WHEN MY TAXI LIGHT IS STILL ON DIM, I'LL BE ASKING OUT LOUD IF LNDG CLRNC HAS BEEN OBTAINED.

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.