Pilot of a mooney 20 failed to obtain the ATIS information prior to contacting the tower for landing...

Attributes
ACN	467100
Time
Date	200003
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt.tower tower : txkf.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 E Super 21
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	467100
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Arriving north las vegas airport (vgt) being vectored by nellis control. Advised nellis control at 10 mi distance that I had vgt in sight. Was not cleared to change to tower frequency until within 5 mi radius. Contacted tower and was told to make 360 degree turn, due to traffic conflict. Subsequently cleared to enter traffic and cleared to land. After landing was told to call tower supervisor and land line. Due to traffic and nellis vector I failed to get ATIS for vgt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A MOONEY 20 FAILED TO OBTAIN THE ATIS INFO PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE TWR FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ARRIVING N LAS VEGAS ARPT (VGT) BEING VECTORED BY NELLIS CTL. ADVISED NELLIS CTL AT 10 MI DISTANCE THAT I HAD VGT IN SIGHT. WAS NOT CLRED TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ UNTIL WITHIN 5 MI RADIUS. CONTACTED TWR AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE 360 DEG TURN, DUE TO TFC CONFLICT. SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO ENTER TFC AND CLRED TO LAND. AFTER LNDG WAS TOLD TO CALL TWR SUPVR AND LAND LINE. DUE TO TFC AND NELLIS VECTOR I FAILED TO GET ATIS FOR VGT.

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.