FLC OF A SUPER MD80 FAILED TO OBTAIN LNDG CLRNC DUE TO DISTR ON A HIGH FINAL AND THE USE OF AN AMENDED CHKLIST WHICH DELETED THE SPACE USED FOR ADDING THE LNDG CLRNC TO THE CHKLIST.

Narrative

ATC FACILITY: AUSTIN TWR. LOCATION: AUSTIN FINAL. ON NIGHT ENRTE DSCNT TO AUSTIN; FO FLYING; FO GOT LATE START ON DSCNT AND WAS HIGH ON EXTENDED FINAL. WE WERE CLRED N FOR TFC AND THEN CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND TO TWR. BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE BUSY DISCUSSING AND MONITORING THIS HIGH APCH; COMPLETING MECHANICAL CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED FOR S- TURNS AND LNDG; I BELIEVE BY TWR. AFTER LNDG AND TURN-OFF AT MID-FIELD; NEITHER CAPT NOR FO COULD REMEMBER IF TWR HAD CLRED US TO LAND. CAPT CHKED WITH THE TWR AND THEY COULD NOT DEFINITELY REMEMBER IF THEY HAD ISSUED LNDG CLRNC ON TWR; BUT THEY WERE WATCHING OUR LNDG AND THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THEM. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY PROB AND ISSUE WAS CLOSED. TODAY; APR/THU/98; AFTER RECEIVING AND READING THE LATEST UPDATE; CAPT AND FO WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS SIT. SINCE THE CHANGE TO THE S-80 MECHANICAL CHKLIST; REMOVING THE TWO BLANK SPACES THAT WE USED FOR APCH AND LNDG CLRNCS; A FAIL-SAFE TECHNIQUE TO INSURE CLRNC AND UNDERSTANDING RESPONSE HAS BEEN REMOVED. FO WOULD LIKE SOME SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES.