Narrative:

Operating as flight XXX speaking to cvg approach control and having just descended through a broken layer of cumulus clouds with light turbulence, VMC underneath in slightly hazy conditions, landing runway 18L in cvg. On a northerly heading, from northeast of the cvg airport, the turn to a 270 degree heading with approach control was completely normal with a descent to 3000 ft. Completed the before landing checklist, followed by instructions to call 1) the traffic ahead and to our left, or 2) the field in sight. With both in sight, we called both the traffic and the field. Approach directed another turn to 210 degrees and cleared us for a visual approach to runway 18L at cvg. I was the PF, I set the autoplt to the approach mode to couple with the localizer and the GS, and flew a normal approach thereafter in VMC conditions to a normal landing. It wasn't until we taxied clear of runway 18L and I reached down to switch frequencys to ground control that I realized we had not ever spoken to tower -- the approach frequency was still the active frequency, and the tower frequency was still in standby. The approach controller had apparently not directed us to switch to tower, and we did not catch it either. Surprised, I mentioned to the captain that we'd apparently just landed without clearance from the tower. I switched to ground, made a normal check-in call, nothing unusual was said, and we taxied uneventfully to parking in cvg. Called the tower on the phone to discuss the error. I actually reached approach control (vice the tower), and introduced myself, by name and position, to the controller who answered. I told him that we believed we'd just landed without tower clearance on runway 18L. He chuckled and said 'nobody lands without clearance.' I clearly understood the message, apologized for our part in the error, thanked him, and asked him to pass our concerns to anyone there who might still be concerned. He said he would. In retrospect, I'm certain that we were not switched by the approach controller to the tower frequency. Sometimes those switch calls do come late on the approach, especially during such repetitive and routine VMC operations, flcs are required finally to initiate the call to switch (or simply switch without the call), and we almost always catch it ourselves. Supplemental information from acn 470559: we were finishing before landing checklist and never realized we hadn't called tower and/or received landing clearance. I should have doublechked that we were cleared to land, especially with the short approach and running of all the checklists in a quicker fashion than normal. I normally use recognition/taxi light switch as a visual reminder that we've been cleared to land. I looked at the switch (in off position) and turned it on and vocalized '3 green, cleared to land, runway 18L.' first officer never caught it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT CVG.

Narrative: OPERATING AS FLT XXX SPEAKING TO CVG APCH CTL AND HAVING JUST DSNDED THROUGH A BROKEN LAYER OF CUMULUS CLOUDS WITH LIGHT TURB, VMC UNDERNEATH IN SLIGHTLY HAZY CONDITIONS, LNDG RWY 18L IN CVG. ON A NORTHERLY HDG, FROM NE OF THE CVG ARPT, THE TURN TO A 270 DEG HDG WITH APCH CTL WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL WITH A DSCNT TO 3000 FT. COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, FOLLOWED BY INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL 1) THE TFC AHEAD AND TO OUR LEFT, OR 2) THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WITH BOTH IN SIGHT, WE CALLED BOTH THE TFC AND THE FIELD. APCH DIRECTED ANOTHER TURN TO 210 DEGS AND CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L AT CVG. I WAS THE PF, I SET THE AUTOPLT TO THE APCH MODE TO COUPLE WITH THE LOC AND THE GS, AND FLEW A NORMAL APCH THEREAFTER IN VMC CONDITIONS TO A NORMAL LNDG. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE TAXIED CLR OF RWY 18L AND I REACHED DOWN TO SWITCH FREQS TO GND CTL THAT I REALIZED WE HAD NOT EVER SPOKEN TO TWR -- THE APCH FREQ WAS STILL THE ACTIVE FREQ, AND THE TWR FREQ WAS STILL IN STANDBY. THE APCH CTLR HAD APPARENTLY NOT DIRECTED US TO SWITCH TO TWR, AND WE DID NOT CATCH IT EITHER. SURPRISED, I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE'D APPARENTLY JUST LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC FROM THE TWR. I SWITCHED TO GND, MADE A NORMAL CHK-IN CALL, NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS SAID, AND WE TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO PARKING IN CVG. CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE TO DISCUSS THE ERROR. I ACTUALLY REACHED APCH CTL (VICE THE TWR), AND INTRODUCED MYSELF, BY NAME AND POS, TO THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE BELIEVED WE'D JUST LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC ON RWY 18L. HE CHUCKLED AND SAID 'NOBODY LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.' I CLRLY UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE, APOLOGIZED FOR OUR PART IN THE ERROR, THANKED HIM, AND ASKED HIM TO PASS OUR CONCERNS TO ANYONE THERE WHO MIGHT STILL BE CONCERNED. HE SAID HE WOULD. IN RETROSPECT, I'M CERTAIN THAT WE WERE NOT SWITCHED BY THE APCH CTLR TO THE TWR FREQ. SOMETIMES THOSE SWITCH CALLS DO COME LATE ON THE APCH, ESPECIALLY DURING SUCH REPETITIVE AND ROUTINE VMC OPS, FLCS ARE REQUIRED FINALLY TO INITIATE THE CALL TO SWITCH (OR SIMPLY SWITCH WITHOUT THE CALL), AND WE ALMOST ALWAYS CATCH IT OURSELVES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 470559: WE WERE FINISHING BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND NEVER REALIZED WE HADN'T CALLED TWR AND/OR RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORT APCH AND RUNNING OF ALL THE CHKLISTS IN A QUICKER FASHION THAN NORMAL. I NORMALLY USE RECOGNITION/TAXI LIGHT SWITCH AS A VISUAL REMINDER THAT WE'VE BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I LOOKED AT THE SWITCH (IN OFF POS) AND TURNED IT ON AND VOCALIZED '3 GREEN, CLRED TO LAND, RWY 18L.' FO NEVER CAUGHT IT.

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.