AN MD88 FLC LWOC WHEN FORGETTING TO SWITCH TO THE TWR AT ATL; GA.

Narrative

LANDED WITHOUT SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ AND OBTAINING LNDG CLRNC. A SERIES OF EVENTS LED TO BEING SOMEWHAT DISTR IN THE FINAL PHASE OF FLT. SECURITY PEOPLE AT GSP WERE OVERWHELMED WITH THE VOLUME OF PAX. APPARENTLY IT'S THAT WAY EVERY MORNING. MANY PAX WERE NOT YET AT THE GATE WHEN PUSHBACK TIME ARRIVED; SO WE WAITED. DURING DSCNT; I PASSED CTL OF THE ACFT TO THE CAPT AND LOOKED OVER THE CONNECTIONS AND MADE SUGGESTIONS TO THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ON HOW TO RESOLVE TIGHT CONNECTIONS. THINGS SETTLED DOWN AFTER THIS TASK WAS COMPLETE; ALTHOUGH I THINK WE BOTH WERE STILL SOMEWHAT DISTR BY DISRUPTING OUR HABIT PATTERNS DURING DSCNT/APCH. THE PNF (CAPT) WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT TWR. THE PNF ALSO CALLS '1000 FT; CLRED TO LAND' OR '1000 FT; NO LNDG CLRNC.' I DO NOT RECALL WHETHER OR NOT HE MADE THIS CALL. MOST CAPTS TURN ON THEIR NOSE LIGHTS WHEN RECEIVING LNDG CLRNC AND FO'S PRESS A BUTTON AS A VISUAL REMINDER OF HAVING RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC (BOTH TECHNIQUE BUT NOT PROC). RADIO WAS VERY QUIET THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING; NOT MUCH TFC. AS WE CLRED THE RWY; WE HEARD APCH TALKING ON THE RADIO (VICE TWR) AND REALIZED OUR ERROR. NEITHER THE NOSE LIGHT WAS ON NOR WAS THE BUTTON PRESSED. BOTTOM LINE: THE CAPT HAD NOT SWITCHED TO TWR AND OBTAINED LNDG CLRNC; AND I DIDN'T CATCH IT. ALSO A FACTOR: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP IN 2 MONTHS.