A CITATION 500 FLC FAILS TO GET A HDOF FROM SMF APCH CTLR AND INCITE THE WRATH OF THE TWR CTLR WHEN CHKING IN ON A 3 MI FINAL N OF SMF; CA.

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A SHORT; VFR FLT FROM THE NUT TREE ARPT (VCB) TO SACRAMENTO INTL (SMF); A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 30 MI. WHILE CLBING TO AN ENRTE ALT OF 3500 FT MSL; RECEIVED SMF ATIS AND CONTACTED APCH CTL ON 125.25. AFTER 'RADAR CONTACT;' WAS HANDED OFF TO SMF APCH; WHICH INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN HEADING AND ALT FOR VECTORS TO SMF. APCH MAINTAINED CTL AND VECTORED US N AS A SLOWER PIPER CHEROKEE WAS MAKING A 5 MI STRAIGHT-IN TO SMF. APCH INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT; RPT; AND FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE WHICH WAS MAKING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 16R. TURNING BASE LEG AND THEN TO FINAL; THE APCH CTLR NEVER HANDED US OFF TO SMF TWR; EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TFC AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT. FEARING WE WERE FORGOTTEN BY APCH; WE SWITCHED TO THE SMF TWR FREQ WHILE ON A 3 MI FINAL; AND THE TWR CTLR IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED US; SAYING THAT HE HAD TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT 'FOR THE LAST 4 MI' BUT WE DID NOT ANSWER. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO ALL CALLS AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH; BUT HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR COMS (BECAUSE WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ). TWR CTLR CHASTISED US AGAIN FOR NOT RESPONDING TO HIS NUMEROUS CALLS SAYING; IN EFFECT; 'YOU JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ANSWERING?' AND WE REPEATED THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO ALL CALLS; BUT WE WERE STILL ON APCH FREQ UNTIL WE SWITCHED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY THE TWR UPON LNDG. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE APCH CTLR HANDED US OFF TO TWR WHEN ENTERING THE SMF TFC PATTERN. ONCE AGAIN; ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT; IN SIGHT; AND IN VFR CONDITIONS. A FOLLOWING BONANZA LANDED BEHIND US AND ASKED SMF GND CTL IF IT WAS THE HABIT OF APCH TO HANG ON TO ARRIVING ACFT UNTIL THE LAST MIN BECAUSE HE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR SIT. THE CTLR SAID SHE; TOO; WISHED THAT ACFT WERE HANDED OFF TO THEM SOONER. THAT PLT SAID HE WAS CONSIDERING FILING A NASA FORM ON THE ISSUE. A PERCEPTION IS THAT THERE IS A LACK OF COM BTWN APCH AND TWR CTLRS; AND IT LEADS TO CONFUSION AMONG PLTS. SOMEDAY IT COULD HAVE A TRAGIC OUTCOME.