A BA32 LANDED CLT WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC FROM TWR.

Narrative

I WAS PF WITH THE CAPT WORKING THE RADIOS. VFR PREVAILED WITH MODERATE TURB. THE FINAL APCH CTLR AT CLT CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36R. THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC TO ATC; SET '.000' IN THE ALT ALERTER (AS PER COMPANY POLICY); AND I REPEATED 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL;' POINTING TO THE ALT ALERTER. AFTER LNDG AND CLRING THE RWY; WE BOTH NOTICED THE ACTIVE COM WAS STILL SET TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR; AND THE ALT ALERTER WAS STILL SET ON '.000' NOT THE USUAL '49000' WHICH INDICATES 'CLRED TO LAND.' I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ; ADVISED CLR OF THE RWY; AND WAS GIVEN FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS AS IF THE INCIDENT HAD NOT OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF THE MATTER WITH ATC. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE MATTER AND CONCLUDED THAT INDEED WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND. WE ALSO AGREED THAT ATC NEVER SWITCHED US TO THE TWR CTLR. FATIGUE ON MY PART MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. ALTHOUGH IT WAS DAY #1 OF MY TRIP; I HAD NOT SLEPT WELL THE PREVIOUS EVENING. A JUMP SEAT OBSERVER WAS ALSO PRESENT; ALTHOUGH THE MATTER WAS NEVER DISCUSSED WITH HIM. THE FAA AND COMPANY AUTH OBSERVER WAS APPARENTLY A STUDENT AT AN AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY; CONDUCTING RESEARCH OF SOME SORT. THE STUDENT'S PURPOSE WAS NEVER MADE ENTIRELY CLR TO ME; ALTHOUGH HE WAS RECORDING OUR 'ON/IN/OUT/OFF' TIMES. I HAD HEARD THROUGH THE 'RUMOR MILL' THAT THESE STUDENTS WERE DOUBLECHKING THE TIMES WE CALLED IN FOR EACH FLT (WE ARE NOT ACARS EQUIPPED); AND THIS WAS CAUSING RESENTMENT AMONG THE PLT GROUP. THIS OBSERVER MAY HAVE CAUSED DISTR; ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T SAY A WORD DURING THE WHOLE FLT.