FLC OF A GOV SMT TURBOPROP FAILED TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC AT A GOV BASE DUE TO THE DIFFERENT PHRASEOLOGY USED BY THE GOV TWR PERSONNEL AND DISTR WHILE SEARCHING FOR ARRESTING CABLES.

Narrative

DEPT DUTIES KEPT CHIEF PLT OCCUPIED THROUGHOUT THE PREFLT DUTIES SO SIC (MYSELF) PICKED UP PIC'S RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL (FLT PLANS AND WX DATA). PAX ARRIVED AND FLT DISPATCHED ON TIME. PIC GAVE CTL OF ACFT TO SIC ON CLBOUT. ON VISUAL APCH AT DEST THE WALLOPS ISLAND TWR FACILITY REQUESTED THE FLT ENTER A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 22 AND 'CALL TURNING FINAL.' ADDITIONALLY; INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN CONCERNING ARRESTING GEAR (CABLES) ON BOTH ENDS OF RWY. SIC SUGGESTED THAT PIC MAKE THE LNDG AND PIC CONCURRED. SOME CONVERSATION BTWN PLTS FOLLOWED REGARDING THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE ARRESTING CABLES AND CONTINUED UNTIL SHORT FINAL WHEN BOTH PLTS WERE SATISFIED THEY COULD VISUALLY IDENT THE CABLES. BOTH PLTS FORGOT ABOUT THE TWR'S REQUEST OF ALERTING THEM THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE APPARENTLY AWAITING THE CALL TO ISSUE LNDG CLRNC. CONSEQUENTLY LNDG CLRNC WAS NEVER ISSUED OR RECEIVED. NOTE: PIC TOOK OVER CTL OF ACFT IN THE DOWNWIND LEG; THEREFORE; RESPONSIBILITY TO 'CALL TWR ON FINAL' FELL TO SIC. THIS ARPT HAD VERY LIGHT VOLUME OF TFC WHILE WE WERE THERE. I AM AWARE OF ONLY 4 ARRS AND DEPS DURING OUR 5 HR STAY AT WAL. PERHAPS TWR PERSONNEL SHOULD ATTEMPT TO VISUALLY IDENT TFC IN THEIR PATTERN SOMEWHERE EARLIER THAN FINAL APCH; OR ISSUE THE CLRNC EARLIER. AS A CIVILIAN PLT; I WAS UNACCUSTOMED TO THE PHRASEOLOGY AND PROCS THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE USING. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENTS THAT CULMINATED IN LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.