Narrative:

Approaching our destination airport, gabreski (kfok), I was handed off from new york approach to the tower after being cleared for the visual approach to runway 33. The control tower acknowledged my call and asked me to 'report mid field left downwind for runway 33.' at this point, my passenger remarked that this was going to be the 'hard part,' which always 'scare her' when flying in airline aircraft. In order to reassure her, I explained that landing an airplane was not really that hard and proceeded to explain every detail of the approach and landing procedure. I became so engrossed in my explanation that I forgot, for the first time in my life, to comply with ATC's instructions and never announced 'mid field downwind' nor obtained a landing clearance. I landed without incident and the controller appeared only mildly annoyed when he reminded me of the require to obtain a landing clearance in class D airspace. Obviously, I was distraction by my passenger and should not have been. I will, in the future, attempt to observe 'sterile cockpit' procedures within 10 mi of the destination airport. Contributing to my mistake is the fact that I am based at an uncontrolled field whereas kfok, at the time of my arrival, had a controller but no obvious traffic either in the pattern or on the field. I simply forgot that the airport below as in class D airspace because it simply didn't 'feel' that I was in an air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LWOC DUE DISTR IN SOCIALIZING WITH PAX.

Narrative: APCHING OUR DEST ARPT, GABRESKI (KFOK), I WAS HANDED OFF FROM NEW YORK APCH TO THE TWR AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33. THE CTL TWR ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL AND ASKED ME TO 'RPT MID FIELD L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 33.' AT THIS POINT, MY PAX REMARKED THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE 'HARD PART,' WHICH ALWAYS 'SCARE HER' WHEN FLYING IN AIRLINE ACFT. IN ORDER TO REASSURE HER, I EXPLAINED THAT LNDG AN AIRPLANE WAS NOT REALLY THAT HARD AND PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN EVERY DETAIL OF THE APCH AND LNDG PROC. I BECAME SO ENGROSSED IN MY EXPLANATION THAT I FORGOT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, TO COMPLY WITH ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS AND NEVER ANNOUNCED 'MID FIELD DOWNWIND' NOR OBTAINED A LNDG CLRNC. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE CTLR APPEARED ONLY MILDLY ANNOYED WHEN HE REMINDED ME OF THE REQUIRE TO OBTAIN A LNDG CLRNC IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS DISTR BY MY PAX AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. I WILL, IN THE FUTURE, ATTEMPT TO OBSERVE 'STERILE COCKPIT' PROCS WITHIN 10 MI OF THE DEST ARPT. CONTRIBUTING TO MY MISTAKE IS THE FACT THAT I AM BASED AT AN UNCTLED FIELD WHEREAS KFOK, AT THE TIME OF MY ARR, HAD A CTLR BUT NO OBVIOUS TFC EITHER IN THE PATTERN OR ON THE FIELD. I SIMPLY FORGOT THAT THE ARPT BELOW AS IN CLASS D AIRSPACE BECAUSE IT SIMPLY DIDN'T 'FEEL' THAT I WAS IN AN ATA.

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.