A rutan experimental pilot makes a nose gear up landing when he failed to use his mental checklist.

Attributes
ACN	389873
Time
Date	199801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cma
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	389873
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure 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:

Extremely simple but fast rutan centerline twin-defiant. Tower put me behind a citabria, dragged around pattern -- forgot landing gear when delayed by mismatch in type. Checklist is so simple I have drifted away from it. Planted mains, ground cowl down. Rutan recommends stopping front propeller in normal landing -- did so. Minimal damage. Lifted nose. Taxied to parking. This may sound silly -- rutan's designers seem to match this concept of easy to repair aircraft -- an event in a composite like this is very easy to fix with a&P checking it out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RUTAN EXPERIMENTAL PLT MAKES A NOSE GEAR UP LNDG WHEN HE FAILED TO USE HIS MENTAL CHKLIST.

Narrative: EXTREMELY SIMPLE BUT FAST RUTAN CTRLINE TWIN-DEFIANT. TWR PUT ME BEHIND A CITABRIA, DRAGGED AROUND PATTERN -- FORGOT LNDG GEAR WHEN DELAYED BY MISMATCH IN TYPE. CHKLIST IS SO SIMPLE I HAVE DRIFTED AWAY FROM IT. PLANTED MAINS, GND COWL DOWN. RUTAN RECOMMENDS STOPPING FRONT PROP IN NORMAL LNDG -- DID SO. MINIMAL DAMAGE. LIFTED NOSE. TAXIED TO PARKING. THIS MAY SOUND SILLY -- RUTAN'S DESIGNERS SEEM TO MATCH THIS CONCEPT OF EASY TO REPAIR ACFT -- AN EVENT IN A COMPOSITE LIKE THIS IS VERY EASY TO FIX WITH A&P CHKING IT OUT.

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.