A challenger flight crew landed while still on TRACON frequency at altitude.

Attributes
ACN	446810
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Challenger CL603/603a
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 137 flight time total : 9350 flight time type : 389
ASRS Report	446810
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our flight attendant informed us that our passenger requested if his guest could situation on the jump seat for landing. This is not uncommon, so we said yes, and the passenger joined us in the cockpit. The captain (PNF) was in the right seat and proceeded to tell our passenger about our aircraft, then started joking about the upcoming landing, which I (the first officer, PF) would be doing in the left seat. (Note: we routinely swap seats every leg and I am a captain with the company.) ZTL was very busy and descended and turned us for visual runway 8L, then cleared us for the approach. Captain continued to talk and joke with our guest, we did complete before landing checklist, but never changed to tower frequency for landing clearance. On short final, approach controller told us if we were still on his frequency, that we were cleared to land. Captain tried to dial in tower frequency, but was too close to landing, so we landed. Cleared, then called ground. Ground did not say anything about this event. Cause: we violated sterile cockpit rule, captain too focused on jokes in a very busy airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CHALLENGER FLC LANDED WHILE STILL ON TRACON FREQ AT ALT.

Narrative: OUR FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT OUR PAX REQUESTED IF HIS GUEST COULD SIT ON THE JUMP SEAT FOR LNDG. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON, SO WE SAID YES, AND THE PAX JOINED US IN THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT (PNF) WAS IN THE R SEAT AND PROCEEDED TO TELL OUR PAX ABOUT OUR ACFT, THEN STARTED JOKING ABOUT THE UPCOMING LNDG, WHICH I (THE FO, PF) WOULD BE DOING IN THE L SEAT. (NOTE: WE ROUTINELY SWAP SEATS EVERY LEG AND I AM A CAPT WITH THE COMPANY.) ZTL WAS VERY BUSY AND DSNDED AND TURNED US FOR VISUAL RWY 8L, THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH. CAPT CONTINUED TO TALK AND JOKE WITH OUR GUEST, WE DID COMPLETE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, BUT NEVER CHANGED TO TWR FREQ FOR LNDG CLRNC. ON SHORT FINAL, APCH CTLR TOLD US IF WE WERE STILL ON HIS FREQ, THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. CAPT TRIED TO DIAL IN TWR FREQ, BUT WAS TOO CLOSE TO LNDG, SO WE LANDED. CLRED, THEN CALLED GND. GND DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS EVENT. CAUSE: WE VIOLATED STERILE COCKPIT RULE, CAPT TOO FOCUSED ON JOKES IN A VERY BUSY ARPT.

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.