Narrative:

A short, VFR flight from the nut tree airport (vcb) to sacramento international (smf), a distance of less than 30 mi. While climbing to an en route altitude of 3500 ft MSL, received smf ATIS and contacted approach control on 125.25. After 'radar contact,' was handed off to smf approach, which instructed us to maintain heading and altitude for vectors to smf. Approach maintained control and vectored us north as a slower piper cherokee was making a 5 mi straight-in to smf. Approach instructed us to make visual contact, report, and follow the cherokee which was making touch-and-goes on runway 16R. Turning base leg and then to final, the approach controller never handed us off to smf tower, even though we had traffic and the airport in sight. Fearing we were forgotten by approach, we switched to the smf tower frequency while on a 3 mi final, and the tower controller immediately contacted us, saying that he had tried to make contact 'for the last 4 mi' but we did not answer. We explained that we had responded to all calls and instructions from approach, but had not heard the tower communications (because we were still on approach frequency). Tower controller chastised us again for not responding to his numerous calls saying, in effect, 'you just didn't feel like answering?' and we repeated that we had responded to all calls, but we were still on approach frequency until we switched. We were then cleared to land. Nothing more was said by the tower upon landing. This could have been avoided had the approach controller handed us off to tower when entering the smf traffic pattern. Once again, only one other aircraft, in sight, and in VFR conditions. A following bonanza landed behind us and asked smf ground control if it was the habit of approach to hang on to arriving aircraft until the last min because he experienced a similar situation. The controller said she, too, wished that aircraft were handed off to them sooner. That pilot said he was considering filing a NASA form on the issue. A perception is that there is a lack of communication between approach and tower controllers, and it leads to confusion among pilots. Someday it could have a tragic outcome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CITATION 500 FLC FAILS TO GET A HDOF FROM SMF APCH CTLR AND INCITE THE WRATH OF THE TWR CTLR WHEN CHKING IN ON A 3 MI FINAL N OF SMF, CA.

Narrative: A SHORT, VFR FLT FROM THE NUT TREE ARPT (VCB) TO SACRAMENTO INTL (SMF), A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 30 MI. WHILE CLBING TO AN ENRTE ALT OF 3500 FT MSL, RECEIVED SMF ATIS AND CONTACTED APCH CTL ON 125.25. AFTER 'RADAR CONTACT,' WAS HANDED OFF TO SMF APCH, WHICH INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN HEADING AND ALT FOR VECTORS TO SMF. APCH MAINTAINED CTL AND VECTORED US N AS A SLOWER PIPER CHEROKEE WAS MAKING A 5 MI STRAIGHT-IN TO SMF. APCH INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT, RPT, AND FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE WHICH WAS MAKING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 16R. TURNING BASE LEG AND THEN TO FINAL, THE APCH CTLR NEVER HANDED US OFF TO SMF TWR, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TFC AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT. FEARING WE WERE FORGOTTEN BY APCH, WE SWITCHED TO THE SMF TWR FREQ WHILE ON A 3 MI FINAL, AND THE TWR CTLR IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED US, SAYING THAT HE HAD TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT 'FOR THE LAST 4 MI' BUT WE DID NOT ANSWER. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO ALL CALLS AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH, BUT HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR COMS (BECAUSE WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ). TWR CTLR CHASTISED US AGAIN FOR NOT RESPONDING TO HIS NUMEROUS CALLS SAYING, IN EFFECT, 'YOU JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ANSWERING?' AND WE REPEATED THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO ALL CALLS, BUT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ UNTIL WE SWITCHED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY THE TWR UPON LNDG. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE APCH CTLR HANDED US OFF TO TWR WHEN ENTERING THE SMF TFC PATTERN. ONCE AGAIN, ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT, IN SIGHT, AND IN VFR CONDITIONS. A FOLLOWING BONANZA LANDED BEHIND US AND ASKED SMF GND CTL IF IT WAS THE HABIT OF APCH TO HANG ON TO ARRIVING ACFT UNTIL THE LAST MIN BECAUSE HE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR SIT. THE CTLR SAID SHE, TOO, WISHED THAT ACFT WERE HANDED OFF TO THEM SOONER. THAT PLT SAID HE WAS CONSIDERING FILING A NASA FORM ON THE ISSUE. A PERCEPTION IS THAT THERE IS A LACK OF COM BTWN APCH AND TWR CTLRS, AND IT LEADS TO CONFUSION AMONG PLTS. SOMEDAY IT COULD HAVE A TRAGIC OUTCOME.

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.