Narrative:

Pilot (owner) of amphibian prepared to land at meadow lake airport after 1 1/2 hour flight. He radioed intentions on unicom frequency and entered airport traffic pattern. On base leg the airport unicom responded, 'experimental XXXX, winds are southwest, have been gusting to 22, wind velocity is now 7 KTS. Active runway is 1-5.' the pilot, flying alone, replied: 'thanks, XXXX is turning final for runway 1-5.' the aircraft landed gear up and skidded left off of the runway onto the grass. Strong arms arrived to lift the aircraft so the gear could be extended. Damage was minimal. Fiberglass and paint were scraped from a small area on the keel strip, and some point removed from the wing sponson's underside. The pilot taxied the plane to his hangar within 15 mins of the landing. What caused the problem? The pilot is an ardent user of a cockpit checklist. He recently revised his checklist to put the gear down while on base leg instead of the usual downwind leg. The reason was to maintain pattern altitude until turning final approach west/O having to increase power to overcome the air drag of an extended gear. The amphibian with pusher propeller looses altitude fast when the gear is extended. This little change in the cockpit checklist, plus the last minute surface winds advisory, plus the pilot's concentration on the landing resulted in the pilot's first gear up landing in over 1500 hours of flying retractable gear aircraft. How to prevent a recurrence? Revise the checklist to specify gear down during the downwind leg of the landing pattern, which is where it belongs. Also, all 'are gear down indicator lights on?' to the checklist actions. Perceptions: any recent alterations of one's checklist, or interruptions of the normal cockpit routine are reasons to immediately double check one's cockpit checklist to assure that no critical actions have been skipped or overlooked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AMPHIBIAN WITH RETRACTABLE GEAR LANDED GEAR UP ON HARD RWY.

Narrative: PLT (OWNER) OF AMPHIBIAN PREPARED TO LAND AT MEADOW LAKE ARPT AFTER 1 1/2 HR FLT. HE RADIOED INTENTIONS ON UNICOM FREQ AND ENTERED ARPT TFC PATTERN. ON BASE LEG THE ARPT UNICOM RESPONDED, 'EXPERIMENTAL XXXX, WINDS ARE SW, HAVE BEEN GUSTING TO 22, WIND VELOCITY IS NOW 7 KTS. ACTIVE RWY IS 1-5.' THE PLT, FLYING ALONE, REPLIED: 'THANKS, XXXX IS TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 1-5.' THE ACFT LANDED GEAR UP AND SKIDDED LEFT OFF OF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. STRONG ARMS ARRIVED TO LIFT THE ACFT SO THE GEAR COULD BE EXTENDED. DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL. FIBERGLASS AND PAINT WERE SCRAPED FROM A SMALL AREA ON THE KEEL STRIP, AND SOME POINT REMOVED FROM THE WING SPONSON'S UNDERSIDE. THE PLT TAXIED THE PLANE TO HIS HANGAR WITHIN 15 MINS OF THE LNDG. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB? THE PLT IS AN ARDENT USER OF A COCKPIT CHKLIST. HE RECENTLY REVISED HIS CHKLIST TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN WHILE ON BASE LEG INSTEAD OF THE USUAL DOWNWIND LEG. THE REASON WAS TO MAINTAIN PATTERN ALT UNTIL TURNING FINAL APCH W/O HAVING TO INCREASE PWR TO OVERCOME THE AIR DRAG OF AN EXTENDED GEAR. THE AMPHIBIAN WITH PUSHER PROP LOOSES ALT FAST WHEN THE GEAR IS EXTENDED. THIS LITTLE CHANGE IN THE COCKPIT CHKLIST, PLUS THE LAST MINUTE SURFACE WINDS ADVISORY, PLUS THE PLT'S CONCENTRATION ON THE LNDG RESULTED IN THE PLT'S FIRST GEAR UP LNDG IN OVER 1500 HRS OF FLYING RETRACTABLE GEAR ACFT. HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE? REVISE THE CHKLIST TO SPECIFY GEAR DOWN DURING THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE LNDG PATTERN, WHICH IS WHERE IT BELONGS. ALSO, ALL 'ARE GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHTS ON?' TO THE CHKLIST ACTIONS. PERCEPTIONS: ANY RECENT ALTERATIONS OF ONE'S CHKLIST, OR INTERRUPTIONS OF THE NORMAL COCKPIT ROUTINE ARE REASONS TO IMMEDIATELY DOUBLE CHK ONE'S COCKPIT CHKLIST TO ASSURE THAT NO CRITICAL ACTIONS HAVE BEEN SKIPPED OR OVERLOOKED.

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.