Gear up landing on maintenance check flight.

Attributes
ACN	168081
Time
Date	199101
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stf
State Reference	MS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 51 flight time total : 14392 flight time type : 328
ASRS Report	168081
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was a wheels up landing, with no mechanical malfunction. I just forgot to put the wheels down. Descended to pattern altitude with gear horn squawking it goes off too soon, about 18' main polls. The horn is hard to hear when wearing headset. Flew level (no horn) to downwind. Lowered flaps to 20 degree call downwind on unicom. Turned base, called base. Lowered flaps to full on final. Never thought 'checklist' on downwind as is my habit, and what I make my students do. Never thought 'gump' in addition to checklist. Again, as I make my students do. Never thought 'gear checks or green light' on final, as I make my students do. Nice approach, nice flare, touched down with a scraping noise. I thought I had dragged tail, then it slid gently on belly. Power was at idle. The usual gear up damage propeller flaps nose wheel down exhaust pipes, belly just aft of exhaust, strobe (on belly). Lots of damage to pilots self esteem. Airplane lifted, gear extended normally, turned to parking. This was good WX, uncluttered pattern, daylight, pilot at home in airplane and still a momentary lapse in attention. Perhaps a factor I have spent more time on right side instructing than on left side, recently. Informed FSS runway blocked, informed them later when runway opened (about pm). Local police cars came and blinking lights were added safety while the runway was blocked. I was alone in airplane with another person almost surely wouldn't happen. I'll bet I never do this again!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG ON MAINTENANCE CHECK FLT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A WHEELS UP LNDG, WITH NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I JUST FORGOT TO PUT THE WHEELS DOWN. DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT WITH GEAR HORN SQUAWKING IT GOES OFF TOO SOON, ABOUT 18' MAIN POLLS. THE HORN IS HARD TO HEAR WHEN WEARING HEADSET. FLEW LEVEL (NO HORN) TO DOWNWIND. LOWERED FLAPS TO 20 DEG CALL DOWNWIND ON UNICOM. TURNED BASE, CALLED BASE. LOWERED FLAPS TO FULL ON FINAL. NEVER THOUGHT 'CHKLIST' ON DOWNWIND AS IS MY HABIT, AND WHAT I MAKE MY STUDENTS DO. NEVER THOUGHT 'GUMP' IN ADDITION TO CHKLIST. AGAIN, AS I MAKE MY STUDENTS DO. NEVER THOUGHT 'GEAR CHKS OR GREEN LIGHT' ON FINAL, AS I MAKE MY STUDENTS DO. NICE APCH, NICE FLARE, TOUCHED DOWN WITH A SCRAPING NOISE. I THOUGHT I HAD DRAGGED TAIL, THEN IT SLID GENTLY ON BELLY. PWR WAS AT IDLE. THE USUAL GEAR UP DAMAGE PROP FLAPS NOSE WHEEL DOWN EXHAUST PIPES, BELLY JUST AFT OF EXHAUST, STROBE (ON BELLY). LOTS OF DAMAGE TO PLTS SELF ESTEEM. AIRPLANE LIFTED, GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY, TURNED TO PARKING. THIS WAS GOOD WX, UNCLUTTERED PATTERN, DAYLIGHT, PLT AT HOME IN AIRPLANE AND STILL A MOMENTARY LAPSE IN ATTN. PERHAPS A FACTOR I HAVE SPENT MORE TIME ON R SIDE INSTRUCTING THAN ON L SIDE, RECENTLY. INFORMED FSS RWY BLOCKED, INFORMED THEM LATER WHEN RWY OPENED (ABOUT PM). LCL POLICE CARS CAME AND BLINKING LIGHTS WERE ADDED SAFETY WHILE THE RWY WAS BLOCKED. I WAS ALONE IN AIRPLANE WITH ANOTHER PERSON ALMOST SURELY WOULDN'T HAPPEN. I'LL BET I NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.