AN EMB120 FLC LANDS THEIR ACFT WITHOUT BENEFIT OF A LNDG CLRNC FROM THE TWR CTLR AT MEI; MS.

Narrative

THIS TRIP WAS THE SECOND DAY OF A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT FOR A REGIONAL CARRIER. THE OVERNIGHT WAS 5 HRS 25 MINS ON THE GND AT LFT. WE DEPARTED LFT FOR MEI. FORECAST WX DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT INTO MEI; APCH INFORMED US WX AT MEI WAS 100 FT BROKEN AND 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY (FOG) AND GETTING WORSE. SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ALTERNATE; I CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCHER TO ENSURE WE HAD AN ALTERNATE AVAILABLE AND THE FUEL TO GET THERE. MY FO WAS FLYING WHILE I TALKED WITH DISPATCH. AS I WAS TALKING WITH THE DISPATCHER; MEI APCH CTL INFORMED US WX AT MEI WAS NOW 1/2 MI (FOG). STILL GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE ILS APCH RWY 1. AT ABOUT 8000 FT MSL; I LOST COM WITH MY DISPATCHER BECAUSE OF OUR LOW ALT. ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WAS IN THE AREA AND RELAYED INFO BTWN US ABOUT THE ALTERNATE. BECAUSE OF THE TIME IT TOOK TALKING WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCHER; I GOT BEHIND TAKING BACK ACFT CTL FROM THE FO. THIS CAUSED BOTH OF US TO RUSH THE APCH INTO MEI. WE SHOULD'VE DELAYED THE APCH AT THIS POINT; BUT BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THE WX MAY GO BELOW MINIMUMS AND WE WERE CURRENTLY IN THE CLR ABOVE THE FOG/CLOUDS; I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. APCH CLRED US FOR THE ILS AND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. TWR TOLD US TO CALL FINAL FIX INBOUND. IT GOT EXTREMELY BUSY CONFIGURING THE ACFT AND COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST JUST PRIOR TO OR AT THE FAF. THE FO AND I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO CALL 'FINAL FIX INBOUND.' ONCE WE LANDED; WE TOLD TWR WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY. TWR THEN TOLD US 'NEXT TIME CALL FINAL FIX INBOUND SO WE CAN GIVE YOU CLRNC TO LAND.' BOTH THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE APCH; BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER IF WE CALLED FINAL FIX OR RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. I GUESS BECAUSE OF THE RUSHED APCH; WE NEVER CONFIRMED LNDG CLRNC. THE ERROR COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED BY NOT RUSHING THE APCH. WE COULD'VE GOTTEN EXTENDED VECTORS TO DELAY THE APCH UNTIL WE WERE BOTH CAUGHT UP WITH THE ACFT AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE APCH. ALSO; I COULD OF MADE THE DECISION TO CONTACT DISPATCH A BIT EARLIER. THIS WOULD'VE ALLOWED MORE TIME FOR GETTING READY FOR THE APCH AND ALSO WOULD OF PREVENTED LOSING COM WITH DISPATCH BECAUSE OF THE LOW ALT. I DO NOT BELIEVE FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. BOTH THE FO AND I DID NOT FEEL TIRED AT THE TIME; BUT THIS TRIP IS AVOIDED BY MANY IN THE COMPANY BECAUSE OF THE SHORT GND TIMES AND LONG DUTY PERIOD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535294: OUTSIDE OF FAF; DISPATCH TRIED TO CALL US AND CAPT BECAME DISTR DURING APCH. FO OFFERED TO TALK TO DISPATCH AND LET CAPT FLY APCH. FO; DISTR BY DISPATCH; FORGOT TO CALL TWR AND INFORM TWR THAT WE WERE OM INBOUND.