A RUTAN-VARIEZE ON SHORT FINAL PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN ACFT LOST ELEVATOR CTL DUE TO CTL ROD NUT BACKED OUT. CAUSED BY COTTER PIN MISSING.

Narrative

THE INCIDENT STARTED AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL. AS I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR; THE NOSE OF THE ACFT DROPPED; SO I PULLED THE TRIM LEVER BACK TO RAISE THE NOSE; BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I THEN IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE STICK BACK AND AGAIN NOTHING HAPPENED. MY NEXT RESPONSE WAS TO GO WITH FULL PWR TO TRY AND GET THE NOSE TO COME UP. THE ACFT LANDED NOSE LOW 10 FT ONTO THE RWY AND COLLAPSED THE LNDG GEAR. AFTER THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP; I CLBED OUT AND STARTED TO CHK OUT THE CTL LINKAGE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A NUT LAYING ON THE FLOOR ON THE R OF THE ACFT. UNDERNEATH THE LINKAGE THAT ACTIVATES THE ELEVATOR. THE CTL ROD NUT HAD COME OFF; CAUSING THE ELEVATOR CTL ROD TO COME OFF; SO I HAD NO ELEVATOR CTL. THE BOLT THAT THE NUT WAS ON; HAD A HOLE DRILLED FOR A COTTER PIN; BUT IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS AT THAT POINT THAT I HAD NOT PUT THE COTTER PIN BACK IN AFTER HAVING THE CANARD OFF THE VARIEZE 2 WKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FOR INSPECTION OF THE CANARD MOUNTING BOLTS AND TO CHK THE BULKHEAD WHERE THE CANARD IS MOUNTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ACFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL AND WAS TO HAVE BEEN ANNUALED 1 WK EARLIER; WHERE I AM CERTAIN; THE MISSING COTTER PIN WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT. THIS INCIDENT WAS MY FAULT COMPLETELY FOR NOT HAVING DONE THE ANNUAL. CORRECTIVE ACTION: I'M TAKING IN THIS CASE TO REDO THE LINKAGE; AS IT HAS BEEN REDESIGNED ON THE LONGEZE ACFT AND ALSO WE WILL BE PUTTING ON MUCH HEAVIER SPRINGS ON THE TRIM CTL.