ACR LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT CVG.

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OPERATING AS FLT XXX SPEAKING TO CVG APCH CTL AND HAVING JUST DSNDED THROUGH A BROKEN LAYER OF CUMULUS CLOUDS WITH LIGHT TURB; VMC UNDERNEATH IN SLIGHTLY HAZY CONDITIONS; LNDG RWY 18L IN CVG. ON A NORTHERLY HDG; FROM NE OF THE CVG ARPT; THE TURN TO A 270 DEG HDG WITH APCH CTL WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL WITH A DSCNT TO 3000 FT. COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST; FOLLOWED BY INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL 1) THE TFC AHEAD AND TO OUR LEFT; OR 2) THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WITH BOTH IN SIGHT; WE CALLED BOTH THE TFC AND THE FIELD. APCH DIRECTED ANOTHER TURN TO 210 DEGS AND CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L AT CVG. I WAS THE PF; I SET THE AUTOPLT TO THE APCH MODE TO COUPLE WITH THE LOC AND THE GS; AND FLEW A NORMAL APCH THEREAFTER IN VMC CONDITIONS TO A NORMAL LNDG. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE TAXIED CLR OF RWY 18L AND I REACHED DOWN TO SWITCH FREQS TO GND CTL THAT I REALIZED WE HAD NOT EVER SPOKEN TO TWR -- THE APCH FREQ WAS STILL THE ACTIVE FREQ; AND THE TWR FREQ WAS STILL IN STANDBY. THE APCH CTLR HAD APPARENTLY NOT DIRECTED US TO SWITCH TO TWR; AND WE DID NOT CATCH IT EITHER. SURPRISED; I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE'D APPARENTLY JUST LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC FROM THE TWR. I SWITCHED TO GND; MADE A NORMAL CHK-IN CALL; NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS SAID; AND WE TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO PARKING IN CVG. CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE TO DISCUSS THE ERROR. I ACTUALLY REACHED APCH CTL (VICE THE TWR); AND INTRODUCED MYSELF; BY NAME AND POS; TO THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE BELIEVED WE'D JUST LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC ON RWY 18L. HE CHUCKLED AND SAID 'NOBODY LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.' I CLRLY UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE; APOLOGIZED FOR OUR PART IN THE ERROR; THANKED HIM; AND ASKED HIM TO PASS OUR CONCERNS TO ANYONE THERE WHO MIGHT STILL BE CONCERNED. HE SAID HE WOULD. IN RETROSPECT; I'M CERTAIN THAT WE WERE NOT SWITCHED BY THE APCH CTLR TO THE TWR FREQ. SOMETIMES THOSE SWITCH CALLS DO COME LATE ON THE APCH; ESPECIALLY DURING SUCH REPETITIVE AND ROUTINE VMC OPS; FLCS ARE REQUIRED FINALLY TO INITIATE THE CALL TO SWITCH (OR SIMPLY SWITCH WITHOUT THE CALL); AND WE ALMOST ALWAYS CATCH IT OURSELVES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 470559: WE WERE FINISHING BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND NEVER REALIZED WE HADN'T CALLED TWR AND/OR RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND; ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORT APCH AND RUNNING OF ALL THE CHKLISTS IN A QUICKER FASHION THAN NORMAL. I NORMALLY USE RECOGNITION/TAXI LIGHT SWITCH AS A VISUAL REMINDER THAT WE'VE BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I LOOKED AT THE SWITCH (IN OFF POS) AND TURNED IT ON AND VOCALIZED '3 GREEN; CLRED TO LAND; RWY 18L.' FO NEVER CAUGHT IT.