Wheels up landing.

Attributes
ACN	297786
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dvt
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 2166 flight time type : 1357
ASRS Report	297786
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical 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:

As I approached the airport flying east I was advised of approaching traffic from the southwest and southeast. When entering downwind, I set approach RPM and lowered the gear while scanning for the reported traffic. Later I set full rich mixture. I was cleared to land after the traffic from the southeast. On final I was getting close to the traffic that just landed and queried the tower about aborting the landing, they said I was cleared to land, which I did. After touchdown, the plane swerved to the right and I feared the right main tire was flat. I tried correcting with brake and rudder but could not. Then all at once the tail dropped hard against the runway and I thought the gear had broken. The plane continued off the runway onto grass for about 200 ft and stopped. I stopped the engine, turned off all switches and set the fuel selector to off. The nose gear remained down and locked. The plane was at rest on the nose wheel, right wingtip, right stabilizer and retracted (almost) left wheel. The propeller did not strike the ground. I did not hear a gear up warning horn. The gear did not break, the mains collapsed because they were not locked down. Later when the plane was raised the gear was swung into place and the down and locked light came on and the plane was towed to an FBO. Damage -- both main tires, ADF and GS antenna damaged, right stabilizer and elevator bent. The FAA has called it an incident. Cause - - distraction from other traffic in hazy WX and not consciously checking for the down and locked light. Checking the light takes only a second plus a glance out the window will let the pilot see the wheel. Noticing the absence of the light would have provided time to try other procedures to lock the gear. Results -- extreme embarrassment and costly. I am reviewing my procedures and will certainly be aware of consciously following the landing checklist. I had checked the operation of the gear lights during preflight inspection and they operated properly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEELS UP LNDG.

Narrative: AS I APCHED THE ARPT FLYING E I WAS ADVISED OF APCHING TFC FROM THE SW AND SE. WHEN ENTERING DOWNWIND, I SET APCH RPM AND LOWERED THE GEAR WHILE SCANNING FOR THE RPTED TFC. LATER I SET FULL RICH MIXTURE. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AFTER THE TFC FROM THE SE. ON FINAL I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE TFC THAT JUST LANDED AND QUERIED THE TWR ABOUT ABORTING THE LNDG, THEY SAID I WAS CLRED TO LAND, WHICH I DID. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE SWERVED TO THE R AND I FEARED THE R MAIN TIRE WAS FLAT. I TRIED CORRECTING WITH BRAKE AND RUDDER BUT COULD NOT. THEN ALL AT ONCE THE TAIL DROPPED HARD AGAINST THE RWY AND I THOUGHT THE GEAR HAD BROKEN. THE PLANE CONTINUED OFF THE RWY ONTO GRASS FOR ABOUT 200 FT AND STOPPED. I STOPPED THE ENG, TURNED OFF ALL SWITCHES AND SET THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF. THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PLANE WAS AT REST ON THE NOSE WHEEL, R WINGTIP, RIGHT STABILIZER AND RETRACTED (ALMOST) L WHEEL. THE PROP DID NOT STRIKE THE GND. I DID NOT HEAR A GEAR UP WARNING HORN. THE GEAR DID NOT BREAK, THE MAINS COLLAPSED BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LOCKED DOWN. LATER WHEN THE PLANE WAS RAISED THE GEAR WAS SWUNG INTO PLACE AND THE DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PLANE WAS TOWED TO AN FBO. DAMAGE -- BOTH MAIN TIRES, ADF AND GS ANTENNA DAMAGED, R STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR BENT. THE FAA HAS CALLED IT AN INCIDENT. CAUSE - - DISTR FROM OTHER TFC IN HAZY WX AND NOT CONSCIOUSLY CHKING FOR THE DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT. CHKING THE LIGHT TAKES ONLY A SECOND PLUS A GLANCE OUT THE WINDOW WILL LET THE PLT SEE THE WHEEL. NOTICING THE ABSENCE OF THE LIGHT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED TIME TO TRY OTHER PROCS TO LOCK THE GEAR. RESULTS -- EXTREME EMBARRASSMENT AND COSTLY. I AM REVIEWING MY PROCS AND WILL CERTAINLY BE AWARE OF CONSCIOUSLY FOLLOWING THE LNDG CHKLIST. I HAD CHKED THE OP OF THE GEAR LIGHTS DURING PREFLT INSPECTION AND THEY OPERATED PROPERLY.

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.