Narrative:

I was the captain on a flight bound for lga. The first officer was the PF. While in radio contact with new york approach; we received 3 runway changes within 40 mi of lga. I updated the mcdu while the first officer flew the aircraft. The final runway change pointed us to runway 31. The crossing restrs were set as approach control cleared us for the expressway visual approach to runway 31. The first officer was unfamiliar with the airport; so I proceeded to watch for traffic and point out the runway. He asked if I would call his turn to final. I called his turn. During the turn to final approach; he acquired the runway; then rolled out of the turn so as to fly through the final. I told him to continue his turn as he was flying through final. He steepened up his bank angle and was decelerating. I told him to watch his speed; bank angle and altitude. At 500 ft AGL; the aircraft was stable for landing. I continued to monitor the first officer's progress until 200 ft AGL when I realized I had not switched the radio frequency or contacted lga tower for a clearance to landing. I checked the crossing runway along with our landing runway and saw no traffic; so I elected to continue and let the first officer land. On the ground I switched the frequency from approach to tower and contacted the controller and apologized. He stated it was not a problem and instructed us to taxi to our gate. If ny approach had told us to contact the tower; we would have done it sooner. Because this is a tight turn to a 3 mi final approach; the tower needs to be contacted much earlier. Next time I will include that in the briefing since the latter portion of this approach is very busy; especially when the PF is unfamiliar with the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELPING A FO UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LGA EXPRESSWAY VISUAL FLY; A DISTR A320 CAPT FAILED TO CONTACT TWR PRIOR LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT BOUND FOR LGA. THE FO WAS THE PF. WHILE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH NEW YORK APCH; WE RECEIVED 3 RWY CHANGES WITHIN 40 MI OF LGA. I UPDATED THE MCDU WHILE THE FO FLEW THE ACFT. THE FINAL RWY CHANGE POINTED US TO RWY 31. THE XING RESTRS WERE SET AS APCH CTL CLRED US FOR THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL APCH TO RWY 31. THE FO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; SO I PROCEEDED TO WATCH FOR TFC AND POINT OUT THE RWY. HE ASKED IF I WOULD CALL HIS TURN TO FINAL. I CALLED HIS TURN. DURING THE TURN TO FINAL APCH; HE ACQUIRED THE RWY; THEN ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN SO AS TO FLY THROUGH THE FINAL. I TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE HIS TURN AS HE WAS FLYING THROUGH FINAL. HE STEEPENED UP HIS BANK ANGLE AND WAS DECELERATING. I TOLD HIM TO WATCH HIS SPD; BANK ANGLE AND ALT. AT 500 FT AGL; THE ACFT WAS STABLE FOR LNDG. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE FO'S PROGRESS UNTIL 200 FT AGL WHEN I REALIZED I HAD NOT SWITCHED THE RADIO FREQ OR CONTACTED LGA TWR FOR A CLRNC TO LNDG. I CHKED THE XING RWY ALONG WITH OUR LNDG RWY AND SAW NO TFC; SO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE AND LET THE FO LAND. ON THE GND I SWITCHED THE FREQ FROM APCH TO TWR AND CONTACTED THE CTLR AND APOLOGIZED. HE STATED IT WAS NOT A PROB AND INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO OUR GATE. IF NY APCH HAD TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR; WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT SOONER. BECAUSE THIS IS A TIGHT TURN TO A 3 MI FINAL APCH; THE TWR NEEDS TO BE CONTACTED MUCH EARLIER. NEXT TIME I WILL INCLUDE THAT IN THE BRIEFING SINCE THE LATTER PORTION OF THIS APCH IS VERY BUSY; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PF IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.