Narrative:

We were on a repos flight from iah-hou. The first officer occupied the left seat and I (captain) was in the right as PNF. This is normal procedure for our operations on empty (no passenger) legs to allow first officer's experience in that seat, acting as captain. WX was cavu and could have been flown VFR, but I filed for IFR to provide and use ATC services. After takeoff, I was very busy with a number of tasks including checklist, copying/listening to hou ATIS, calculating landing data, and talking with ATC. On these short repos flts (within 10 mins from takeoff) it is very busy and can be rushed, which leads to errors and absentmindedness. As we were being vectored for the approach, ATC was calling out traffic being vectored ahead of us. We reported having traffic in sight, from which we were subsequently cleared to follow traffic, given a speed to maintain as to avoid wake turbulence. I finished the checklist prior to landing and then began to give the first officer callouts (v-spds, altitude, and sink rates). After landing and clearing the runway, we accomplished the after landing checklist and I contacted ground to tell them which FBO we wanted to go to. He (ground) queried me as if I had talked to tower or been handed off. I said we had not and do not remember the controller telling us to contact tower. At times, I can recall being instructed before on prior flts to contact the next controller 'houston' and discovered it was tower after doublechking the frequency. There was no further request from ATC to clarify the situation (ie, call the tower on the phone). To prevent incidents like this from occurring, standardization in the cockpit, including it in the checklist, and emphasizing clearance from tower to land has been received. I also feel that after approach clears your aircraft for an approach, they should automatically have you contact tower (not at the FAF or some other point along the approach).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR REPOS FLT WITH FO AS CAPT LANDS WITHOUT BENEFIT OF A LNDG CLRNC FROM THE TWR AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A REPOS FLT FROM IAH-HOU. THE FO OCCUPIED THE L SEAT AND I (CAPT) WAS IN THE R AS PNF. THIS IS NORMAL PROC FOR OUR OPS ON EMPTY (NO PAX) LEGS TO ALLOW FO'S EXPERIENCE IN THAT SEAT, ACTING AS CAPT. WX WAS CAVU AND COULD HAVE BEEN FLOWN VFR, BUT I FILED FOR IFR TO PROVIDE AND USE ATC SVCS. AFTER TKOF, I WAS VERY BUSY WITH A NUMBER OF TASKS INCLUDING CHKLIST, COPYING/LISTENING TO HOU ATIS, CALCULATING LNDG DATA, AND TALKING WITH ATC. ON THESE SHORT REPOS FLTS (WITHIN 10 MINS FROM TKOF) IT IS VERY BUSY AND CAN BE RUSHED, WHICH LEADS TO ERRORS AND ABSENTMINDEDNESS. AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH, ATC WAS CALLING OUT TFC BEING VECTORED AHEAD OF US. WE RPTED HAVING TFC IN SIGHT, FROM WHICH WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO FOLLOW TFC, GIVEN A SPD TO MAINTAIN AS TO AVOID WAKE TURB. I FINISHED THE CHKLIST PRIOR TO LNDG AND THEN BEGAN TO GIVE THE FO CALLOUTS (V-SPDS, ALT, AND SINK RATES). AFTER LNDG AND CLRING THE RWY, WE ACCOMPLISHED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND I CONTACTED GND TO TELL THEM WHICH FBO WE WANTED TO GO TO. HE (GND) QUERIED ME AS IF I HAD TALKED TO TWR OR BEEN HANDED OFF. I SAID WE HAD NOT AND DO NOT REMEMBER THE CTLR TELLING US TO CONTACT TWR. AT TIMES, I CAN RECALL BEING INSTRUCTED BEFORE ON PRIOR FLTS TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR 'HOUSTON' AND DISCOVERED IT WAS TWR AFTER DOUBLECHKING THE FREQ. THERE WAS NO FURTHER REQUEST FROM ATC TO CLARIFY THE SIT (IE, CALL THE TWR ON THE PHONE). TO PREVENT INCIDENTS LIKE THIS FROM OCCURRING, STANDARDIZATION IN THE COCKPIT, INCLUDING IT IN THE CHKLIST, AND EMPHASIZING CLRNC FROM TWR TO LAND HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I ALSO FEEL THAT AFTER APCH CLRS YOUR ACFT FOR AN APCH, THEY SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE YOU CONTACT TWR (NOT AT THE FAF OR SOME OTHER POINT ALONG THE APCH).

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.