Narrative:

Approaching phoenix, a runway change was underway. We were initially cleared to intercept runway 7R localizer and told to expect the visual. We then were cleared to airport direct and told to expect runway 8. 2 aircraft were vectored in front of us. It had just gotten dark and we had trouble locating the aircraft we were following. We had it in sight and were cleared for the visual to runway 8. It was difficult to keep it in sight combined with the ground lights and city. We also got a traffic warning from what appeared to be a helicopter underneath us. The previous aircraft slowed significantly, so we did the same. We slowed to reference speed, approximately 5 mi out. Previous speed had been around 170 KTS. The frequency was very busy and combined with the traffic searches, we never received a switchover to tower. We completed our before landing checklist. The frequency was quiet for a moment and everything seemed done. We landed uneventfully and upon exiting runway that first officer had never switched to tower. We called ground and taxied to gate. I always turn on the nose light when we are cleared to land. The first officer stated he had done his safety flow before landing and I had done mine (gear, flaps, spoilers, but omitted nose light in the dark cockpit). I was more worried about slowing, finding traffic and landing. In the future, I have to continue to do this flow completely, even if time, traffic, and a busy landing environment try to distract me from it. The first officer and I discussed it and felt that safety was not an issue and we didn't create a problem for tower, approach or ground control. If this had been the case, we would have either initiated a go around or ground control would have advised of the problem. Supplemental information from acn 566600: on approach, ATC pointed out numerous traffic and our attention was placed on getting visual contact. Approach control never handed us off to tower. Taxiing from the runway, we noticed the wrong frequency. (Instead of tower frequency it was tuned to approach control.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARJ CREW LANDED AT PHX WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: APCHING PHOENIX, A RWY CHANGE WAS UNDERWAY. WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO INTERCEPT RWY 7R LOC AND TOLD TO EXPECT THE VISUAL. WE THEN WERE CLRED TO ARPT DIRECT AND TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 8. 2 ACFT WERE VECTORED IN FRONT OF US. IT HAD JUST GOTTEN DARK AND WE HAD TROUBLE LOCATING THE ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING. WE HAD IT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 8. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IT IN SIGHT COMBINED WITH THE GND LIGHTS AND CITY. WE ALSO GOT A TFC WARNING FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HELI UNDERNEATH US. THE PREVIOUS ACFT SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY, SO WE DID THE SAME. WE SLOWED TO REF SPD, APPROX 5 MI OUT. PREVIOUS SPD HAD BEEN AROUND 170 KTS. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND COMBINED WITH THE TFC SEARCHES, WE NEVER RECEIVED A SWITCHOVER TO TWR. WE COMPLETED OUR BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. THE FREQ WAS QUIET FOR A MOMENT AND EVERYTHING SEEMED DONE. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND UPON EXITING RWY THAT FO HAD NEVER SWITCHED TO TWR. WE CALLED GND AND TAXIED TO GATE. I ALWAYS TURN ON THE NOSE LIGHT WHEN WE ARE CLRED TO LAND. THE FO STATED HE HAD DONE HIS SAFETY FLOW BEFORE LNDG AND I HAD DONE MINE (GEAR, FLAPS, SPOILERS, BUT OMITTED NOSE LIGHT IN THE DARK COCKPIT). I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT SLOWING, FINDING TFC AND LNDG. IN THE FUTURE, I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS FLOW COMPLETELY, EVEN IF TIME, TFC, AND A BUSY LNDG ENVIRONMENT TRY TO DISTRACT ME FROM IT. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED IT AND FELT THAT SAFETY WAS NOT AN ISSUE AND WE DIDN'T CREATE A PROB FOR TWR, APCH OR GND CTL. IF THIS HAD BEEN THE CASE, WE WOULD HAVE EITHER INITIATED A GAR OR GND CTL WOULD HAVE ADVISED OF THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 566600: ON APCH, ATC POINTED OUT NUMEROUS TFC AND OUR ATTN WAS PLACED ON GETTING VISUAL CONTACT. APCH CTL NEVER HANDED US OFF TO TWR. TAXIING FROM THE RWY, WE NOTICED THE WRONG FREQ. (INSTEAD OF TWR FREQ IT WAS TUNED TO APCH 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.