Narrative:

Cleared for a visual approach to runway 34L at sea, we were not switched to tower by the approach controller or if we were, we missed the call. We were following an aircraft in front of us and establishing the proper spacing prevented the copilot or myself from realizing we had not been switched to tower or that we had missed it. While we had sufficient clearance behind the aircraft in front of us, our first realization that we had not switched to tower, came when we called tower holding short of runway 34R and were told we were still on approach. I've developed the habit of not turning on the nose gear landing light until I've gotten a landing clearance and sure enough when I looked up the nose gear light was off. Supplemental information from acn 469382: the captain disconnected the autoplt. ATC vectored the aircraft to a 250 degree heading and queried 'do you have the airport in sight?' the captain acknowledged and said 'yes we got it.' I replied ATC's query with an affirmative. ATC then said 'flight XXX you're cleared for the visual approach runway 34L, cross 5 mi from sea at or above 2000 ft, contact tower 119.9.' I read back the clearance and dialed the frequency on the #2 radio. The captain called for flaps, and I diverted my attention to his flying and commands. He called for gear and landing checklist. I was concerned with proper procedures and the previous restr issued by ATC. Upon landing, we taxied off the runway and called 'tower, flight XXX is clear of the active.' sea approach answered by saying, 'flight XXX you are on approach frequency.' I believe this incident was caused by task saturation and a little fatigue since we had an early morning departure out of dca. Task saturation due to flying the airplane manually, which required the PNF to monitor the flight and set all altitudes and headings given by ATC. Our flight manual recommends the use of the autoplt to the maximum extent possible. The captain's election to disconnect the autoplt early during the approach, combined with fatigue and PNF saturation due to multiple ATC instructions as well as cabin duties were contributing factors. This incident could have been prevented by using the autoplt a bit longer and by approach control/tower inquiring about our frequency change, ie, 'flight XXX are you with me?'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW NEGLECTS TO CHANGE FREQ AND LANDS AT SEATTLE, WA, WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34L AT SEA, WE WERE NOT SWITCHED TO TWR BY THE APCH CTLR OR IF WE WERE, WE MISSED THE CALL. WE WERE FOLLOWING AN ACFT IN FRONT OF US AND ESTABLISHING THE PROPER SPACING PREVENTED THE COPLT OR MYSELF FROM REALIZING WE HAD NOT BEEN SWITCHED TO TWR OR THAT WE HAD MISSED IT. WHILE WE HAD SUFFICIENT CLRNC BEHIND THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US, OUR FIRST REALIZATION THAT WE HAD NOT SWITCHED TO TWR, CAME WHEN WE CALLED TWR HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 34R AND WERE TOLD WE WERE STILL ON APCH. I'VE DEVELOPED THE HABIT OF NOT TURNING ON THE NOSE GEAR LNDG LIGHT UNTIL I'VE GOTTEN A LNDG CLRNC AND SURE ENOUGH WHEN I LOOKED UP THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS OFF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 469382: THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. ATC VECTORED THE ACFT TO A 250 DEG HDG AND QUERIED 'DO YOU HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT?' THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID 'YES WE GOT IT.' I REPLIED ATC'S QUERY WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE. ATC THEN SAID 'FLT XXX YOU'RE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH RWY 34L, CROSS 5 MI FROM SEA AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT, CONTACT TWR 119.9.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND DIALED THE FREQ ON THE #2 RADIO. THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS, AND I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO HIS FLYING AND COMMANDS. HE CALLED FOR GEAR AND LNDG CHKLIST. I WAS CONCERNED WITH PROPER PROCS AND THE PREVIOUS RESTR ISSUED BY ATC. UPON LNDG, WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND CALLED 'TWR, FLT XXX IS CLR OF THE ACTIVE.' SEA APCH ANSWERED BY SAYING, 'FLT XXX YOU ARE ON APCH FREQ.' I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY TASK SATURATION AND A LITTLE FATIGUE SINCE WE HAD AN EARLY MORNING DEP OUT OF DCA. TASK SATURATION DUE TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE MANUALLY, WHICH REQUIRED THE PNF TO MONITOR THE FLT AND SET ALL ALTS AND HDGS GIVEN BY ATC. OUR FLT MANUAL RECOMMENDS THE USE OF THE AUTOPLT TO THE MAX EXTENT POSSIBLE. THE CAPT'S ELECTION TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT EARLY DURING THE APCH, COMBINED WITH FATIGUE AND PNF SATURATION DUE TO MULTIPLE ATC INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS CABIN DUTIES WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY USING THE AUTOPLT A BIT LONGER AND BY APCH CTL/TWR INQUIRING ABOUT OUR FREQ CHANGE, IE, 'FLT XXX ARE YOU WITH ME?'

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.