Narrative:

After landing at dfw and clear of runway 36L, I found the frequency selector still on approach control. Aircraft behind us was forced to do a go around. We did not remember being sent to tower frequency, but even if we weren't, this is no excuse. On final, we were not rushed and everything seemed normal until after landing. We watched the aircraft in front of us clear the runway well ahead of our landing when we were still at about 1000 ft. At the marker where I normally contact tower, I was completing the before landing checklist. Being a different aircraft, I was thinking about the differences. This for me might have been the distraction that changed my routine as I have not flown many different MD80 series recently. I have read of others who have made this mistake, and always thought it could not happen to me. After I became aware of my mistake, I found myself in almost a state of shock that such a basic requirement could have been missed. As the PIC and PNF, I accept full responsibility for my mistake. Supplemental information from acn 619172: approach control giving us hurried instructions during our vectoring (altitude changes and airspeed reductions). He asked if we had the field. When we said yes, we were cleared for a visual approach about 3 mi outside the FAF with a speed restr to the marker. We were concentrating on the approach and landing, so we didn't catch that we were not sent over to tower for landing clearance. We had a long rollout and still didn't realize the mistake until after we left the runway. I noticed a plane doing a go around, but we never heard him directed to do so. When the captain mentioned to tower that we could have cleared sooner if they had asked, approach then told us to go to tower frequency. In this case, I didn't catch the normal clues like not hearing the landing clearance and, therefore, flipping my 'cleared to land' light switch. I saw I hadn't done it, but thought I had just forgot to turn it on. Also, I wasn't paying as close attention to what was being said to the other aircraft, ie, not hearing what one normally hears on the tower frequency. I guess I was too fixated with the approach at hand, tailwind landing and buildups in the distance. Next time I'm sure those little clues will not be ignored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 FLT CREW LWOC AND HAD A LONG ROLLOUT WHILE STILL ON APCH CTLR FREQ, RESULTING IN ANOTHER ACFT IN TRAIL GOING AROUND.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT DFW AND CLR OF RWY 36L, I FOUND THE FREQ SELECTOR STILL ON APCH CTL. ACFT BEHIND US WAS FORCED TO DO A GAR. WE DID NOT REMEMBER BEING SENT TO TWR FREQ, BUT EVEN IF WE WEREN'T, THIS IS NO EXCUSE. ON FINAL, WE WERE NOT RUSHED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL AFTER LNDG. WE WATCHED THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US CLR THE RWY WELL AHEAD OF OUR LNDG WHEN WE WERE STILL AT ABOUT 1000 FT. AT THE MARKER WHERE I NORMALLY CONTACT TWR, I WAS COMPLETING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. BEING A DIFFERENT ACFT, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES. THIS FOR ME MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE DISTR THAT CHANGED MY ROUTINE AS I HAVE NOT FLOWN MANY DIFFERENT MD80 SERIES RECENTLY. I HAVE READ OF OTHERS WHO HAVE MADE THIS MISTAKE, AND ALWAYS THOUGHT IT COULD NOT HAPPEN TO ME. AFTER I BECAME AWARE OF MY MISTAKE, I FOUND MYSELF IN ALMOST A STATE OF SHOCK THAT SUCH A BASIC REQUIREMENT COULD HAVE BEEN MISSED. AS THE PIC AND PNF, I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY MISTAKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 619172: APCH CTL GIVING US HURRIED INSTRUCTIONS DURING OUR VECTORING (ALT CHANGES AND AIRSPD REDUCTIONS). HE ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD. WHEN WE SAID YES, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH ABOUT 3 MI OUTSIDE THE FAF WITH A SPD RESTR TO THE MARKER. WE WERE CONCENTRATING ON THE APCH AND LNDG, SO WE DIDN'T CATCH THAT WE WERE NOT SENT OVER TO TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC. WE HAD A LONG ROLLOUT AND STILL DIDN'T REALIZE THE MISTAKE UNTIL AFTER WE LEFT THE RWY. I NOTICED A PLANE DOING A GAR, BUT WE NEVER HEARD HIM DIRECTED TO DO SO. WHEN THE CAPT MENTIONED TO TWR THAT WE COULD HAVE CLRED SOONER IF THEY HAD ASKED, APCH THEN TOLD US TO GO TO TWR FREQ. IN THIS CASE, I DIDN'T CATCH THE NORMAL CLUES LIKE NOT HEARING THE LNDG CLRNC AND, THEREFORE, FLIPPING MY 'CLRED TO LAND' LIGHT SWITCH. I SAW I HADN'T DONE IT, BUT THOUGHT I HAD JUST FORGOT TO TURN IT ON. ALSO, I WASN'T PAYING AS CLOSE ATTN TO WHAT WAS BEING SAID TO THE OTHER ACFT, IE, NOT HEARING WHAT ONE NORMALLY HEARS ON THE TWR FREQ. I GUESS I WAS TOO FIXATED WITH THE APCH AT HAND, TAILWIND LNDG AND BUILDUPS IN THE DISTANCE. NEXT TIME I'M SURE THOSE LITTLE CLUES WILL NOT BE IGNORED.

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.