Chagrined pilot's report of a gear up landing after being airborne a few seconds.

Attributes
ACN	222754
Time
Date	199209
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 20
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ads
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1870 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	222754
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
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:

Tower cleared me for takeoff. Takeoff positive rate of climb -- brain was on automatic and gear up at about 20 ft and at the exact same moment, the only passenger door popped open. First thought was to forget it and continue to tki, a few mins flight. Next thought was go around, land, and latch the door. Next thought was gee 5000 ft of runway left, land, close the door, taxi back, and takeoff again. I chose the wrong option. I forgot I was on automatic and raised the gear. All this happened in a very few seconds. I doubt if I got over 20 ft in the air. I advised tower of my intentions and pulled power. Tower approved. I remembered the gear about the same time tower transmitted 'negative gear.' I selected gear down and full power, about 1-2 seconds later the tail tiedown ring was dragging. I chopped power, mixture, and master and settled in to the runway. Gave hard right rudder to try to bring the nose into the wind to stay on the runway. Slid to a stop in the runway, shut off the fuel and turned off the mags and exited the plane. What I should have done was go on home and the heck with the door. What a price to pay for 10 mins of noise if I would have gone with option #1. I have had a number of doors pop open on me before over the yrs and no problem. Looks like I move my peg from the 'those that will' to 'those that have' side of the board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHAGRINED PLT'S RPT OF A GEAR UP LNDG AFTER BEING AIRBORNE A FEW SECONDS.

Narrative: TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF. TKOF POSITIVE RATE OF CLB -- BRAIN WAS ON AUTOMATIC AND GEAR UP AT ABOUT 20 FT AND AT THE EXACT SAME MOMENT, THE ONLY PAX DOOR POPPED OPEN. FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO FORGET IT AND CONTINUE TO TKI, A FEW MINS FLT. NEXT THOUGHT WAS GAR, LAND, AND LATCH THE DOOR. NEXT THOUGHT WAS GEE 5000 FT OF RWY LEFT, LAND, CLOSE THE DOOR, TAXI BACK, AND TKOF AGAIN. I CHOSE THE WRONG OPTION. I FORGOT I WAS ON AUTOMATIC AND RAISED THE GEAR. ALL THIS HAPPENED IN A VERY FEW SECONDS. I DOUBT IF I GOT OVER 20 FT IN THE AIR. I ADVISED TWR OF MY INTENTIONS AND PULLED PWR. TWR APPROVED. I REMEMBERED THE GEAR ABOUT THE SAME TIME TWR XMITTED 'NEGATIVE GEAR.' I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND FULL PWR, ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS LATER THE TAIL TIEDOWN RING WAS DRAGGING. I CHOPPED PWR, MIXTURE, AND MASTER AND SETTLED IN TO THE RWY. GAVE HARD R RUDDER TO TRY TO BRING THE NOSE INTO THE WIND TO STAY ON THE RWY. SLID TO A STOP IN THE RWY, SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND TURNED OFF THE MAGS AND EXITED THE PLANE. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS GO ON HOME AND THE HECK WITH THE DOOR. WHAT A PRICE TO PAY FOR 10 MINS OF NOISE IF I WOULD HAVE GONE WITH OPTION #1. I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF DOORS POP OPEN ON ME BEFORE OVER THE YRS AND NO PROBLEM. LOOKS LIKE I MOVE MY PEG FROM THE 'THOSE THAT WILL' TO 'THOSE THAT HAVE' SIDE OF THE BOARD.

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.