Narrative:

On arrival into orlando, approach control frequency were very congested as a result of aircraft needing deviations for WX. (Thunderstorms in the vicinity and in orlando class B airspace.) after being worked by approach with our own deviations, and vectors to a position to accept the visual, we were cleared for the visual from a descending right base to runway 17 at mco. As a result of the intense radio communication involved with the vectors and deviations, our crew concentration was focused on configns for landing and verifications that the aircraft was ready to land. ATC never handed us off to tower and we, as a crew, did not realize it until we were on the landing rollout. Supplemental information from acn 477030: ATC controllers were sounding harried. When we contacted final approach control the air was very turbulent with thunderstorms in the area. Even though the reported ceiling and visibility was 6000 ft and 10 mi the WX as well as the heat was playing a factor. Both my first officer and I were getting tired from the bouncing around and the flight attendant had reported sick passenger. Florida had been in a drought situation for many months and flying had been great with no severe WX to worry about. This day was not good. Both of us were apprehensive of the WX. Final approach cleared us for a visual approach but never made the handoff to the tower. We were busy with the final approach checklist and fighting to keep the aircraft on an even keel due to the turbulence. Neither of us recognized the error of landing without clearance from the tower until we went to change frequency to ground control.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT MCO, FL.

Narrative: ON ARR INTO ORLANDO, APCH CTL FREQ WERE VERY CONGESTED AS A RESULT OF ACFT NEEDING DEVS FOR WX. (TSTMS IN THE VICINITY AND IN ORLANDO CLASS B AIRSPACE.) AFTER BEING WORKED BY APCH WITH OUR OWN DEVS, AND VECTORS TO A POS TO ACCEPT THE VISUAL, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL FROM A DSNDING R BASE TO RWY 17 AT MCO. AS A RESULT OF THE INTENSE RADIO COM INVOLVED WITH THE VECTORS AND DEVS, OUR CREW CONCENTRATION WAS FOCUSED ON CONFIGNS FOR LNDG AND VERIFICATIONS THAT THE ACFT WAS READY TO LAND. ATC NEVER HANDED US OFF TO TWR AND WE, AS A CREW, DID NOT REALIZE IT UNTIL WE WERE ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 477030: ATC CTLRS WERE SOUNDING HARRIED. WHEN WE CONTACTED FINAL APCH CTL THE AIR WAS VERY TURBULENT WITH TSTMS IN THE AREA. EVEN THOUGH THE RPTED CEILING AND VISIBILITY WAS 6000 FT AND 10 MI THE WX AS WELL AS THE HEAT WAS PLAYING A FACTOR. BOTH MY FO AND I WERE GETTING TIRED FROM THE BOUNCING AROUND AND THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD RPTED SICK PAX. FLORIDA HAD BEEN IN A DROUGHT SIT FOR MANY MONTHS AND FLYING HAD BEEN GREAT WITH NO SEVERE WX TO WORRY ABOUT. THIS DAY WAS NOT GOOD. BOTH OF US WERE APPREHENSIVE OF THE WX. FINAL APCH CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH BUT NEVER MADE THE HDOF TO THE TWR. WE WERE BUSY WITH THE FINAL APCH CHKLIST AND FIGHTING TO KEEP THE ACFT ON AN EVEN KEEL DUE TO THE TURB. NEITHER OF US RECOGNIZED THE ERROR OF LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC FROM THE TWR UNTIL WE WENT TO CHANGE FREQ TO GND CTL.

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.