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.