Narrative:

At the end of our rotation following an early morning get-up, a 12 hour day, and almost 8 hours of flight time, we were ready to be done. We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 27L to follow a regional jet 4 mi ahead, maintain 180 KTS. The copilot was flying. Atl approach had turned us toward final when we were above 6000 ft MSL, which is not normal when aircraft are on runway 26R final. I became alert for any possible conflicts and became more focused on the copilot getting the aircraft on the ground. An aircraft on runway 26R final, below us when we intercepted posed no problems. The aircraft in front of us was slowing for his landing and the copilot began configuring our aircraft for landing. At 1000 ft AGL, our aircraft was on GS, localizer and configured for landing with before landing checklist complete. I called '1000 ft above' as always, and I am sure I called 'cleared to land' -- or did I? We became totally aware we had done something wrong when exiting the runway and trying to get clearance to cross runway 27R or hold. We were still on approach frequency. I had not contacted atl tower at depot intersection. We were stunned. I have flown planes for over 25 yrs and I had never come close to landing without a clearance before. There does not appear to be any overriding reason or excuse for my actions or inaction. It seems, like most incidents, there was a chain or events that contributed to my failure to change frequencys. I had flown only 1 trip since october due to overstaffing, vacation and being sick. I became somewhat distraction from normal procedures due to the higher than normal altitude we were at when cleared for the approach. I had been sick since january and this was my first trip back. Improper callouts. I was not able to recognize that something was missing. ATC issued instructions to contact tower at depot intersection. Instructions to switch and monitor would have helped. Supplemental information from acn 536151: did not change to tower frequency at FAF. The first officer was held at a high downwind altitude until cleared for visual approach and contact tower at FAF. We were concerned that he might not descend in time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 CREW LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR.

Narrative: AT THE END OF OUR ROTATION FOLLOWING AN EARLY MORNING GET-UP, A 12 HR DAY, AND ALMOST 8 HRS OF FLT TIME, WE WERE READY TO BE DONE. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L TO FOLLOW A REGIONAL JET 4 MI AHEAD, MAINTAIN 180 KTS. THE COPLT WAS FLYING. ATL APCH HAD TURNED US TOWARD FINAL WHEN WE WERE ABOVE 6000 FT MSL, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL WHEN ACFT ARE ON RWY 26R FINAL. I BECAME ALERT FOR ANY POSSIBLE CONFLICTS AND BECAME MORE FOCUSED ON THE COPLT GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND. AN ACFT ON RWY 26R FINAL, BELOW US WHEN WE INTERCEPTED POSED NO PROBS. THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS SLOWING FOR HIS LNDG AND THE COPLT BEGAN CONFIGURING OUR ACFT FOR LNDG. AT 1000 FT AGL, OUR ACFT WAS ON GS, LOC AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG WITH BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETE. I CALLED '1000 FT ABOVE' AS ALWAYS, AND I AM SURE I CALLED 'CLRED TO LAND' -- OR DID I? WE BECAME TOTALLY AWARE WE HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG WHEN EXITING THE RWY AND TRYING TO GET CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 27R OR HOLD. WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ. I HAD NOT CONTACTED ATL TWR AT DEPOT INTXN. WE WERE STUNNED. I HAVE FLOWN PLANES FOR OVER 25 YRS AND I HAD NEVER COME CLOSE TO LNDG WITHOUT A CLRNC BEFORE. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OVERRIDING REASON OR EXCUSE FOR MY ACTIONS OR INACTION. IT SEEMS, LIKE MOST INCIDENTS, THERE WAS A CHAIN OR EVENTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY FAILURE TO CHANGE FREQS. I HAD FLOWN ONLY 1 TRIP SINCE OCTOBER DUE TO OVERSTAFFING, VACATION AND BEING SICK. I BECAME SOMEWHAT DISTR FROM NORMAL PROCS DUE TO THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL ALT WE WERE AT WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. I HAD BEEN SICK SINCE JANUARY AND THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP BACK. IMPROPER CALLOUTS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING WAS MISSING. ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT TWR AT DEPOT INTXN. INSTRUCTIONS TO SWITCH AND MONITOR WOULD HAVE HELPED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 536151: DID NOT CHANGE TO TWR FREQ AT FAF. THE FO WAS HELD AT A HIGH DOWNWIND ALT UNTIL CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND CONTACT TWR AT FAF. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT HE MIGHT NOT DSND IN TIME.

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.