Gear up landing at non tower airport.

Attributes
ACN	246307
Time
Date	199307
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 06u
State Reference	NV
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	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17568 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	246307
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Home-built, experimental aircraft was modified to retractable landing gear. Gear switch is 3 position, i.e., 'up' 'neutral' 'down'. Pilot moved switch toward 'down' and consequently landed with gear up because switch inadvertently returned to 'neutral' and disabled warning horn and light. Contributing factors: pilot had never been here and was unfamiliar with downslope of airport to the south. (Unicom reported traffic using runway 15 on 5 mi out call.) rising terrain to north requires a long approach at low altitude AGL for shallow approach required by this aircraft and distracted the pilot from adequately checking gear down position of switch and indicators. Several aircraft were waiting to depart on runway 15 which would be preferred for takeoff. Runway 33 would be preferred for lndgs, and pilot was accommodating those aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: HOME-BUILT, EXPERIMENTAL ACFT WAS MODIFIED TO RETRACTABLE LNDG GEAR. GEAR SWITCH IS 3 POS, I.E., 'UP' 'NEUTRAL' 'DOWN'. PLT MOVED SWITCH TOWARD 'DOWN' AND CONSEQUENTLY LANDED WITH GEAR UP BECAUSE SWITCH INADVERTENTLY RETURNED TO 'NEUTRAL' AND DISABLED WARNING HORN AND LIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PLT HAD NEVER BEEN HERE AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH DOWNSLOPE OF ARPT TO THE S. (UNICOM RPTED TFC USING RWY 15 ON 5 MI OUT CALL.) RISING TERRAIN TO N REQUIRES A LONG APCH AT LOW ALT AGL FOR SHALLOW APCH REQUIRED BY THIS ACFT AND DISTRACTED THE PLT FROM ADEQUATELY CHKING GEAR DOWN POS OF SWITCH AND INDICATORS. SEVERAL ACFT WERE WAITING TO DEPART ON RWY 15 WHICH WOULD BE PREFERRED FOR TKOF. RWY 33 WOULD BE PREFERRED FOR LNDGS, AND PLT WAS ACCOMMODATING THOSE ACFT.

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.