Narrative:

I was preparing for my commercial pilot chkride (which was scheduled the next day) and was reviewing the required maneuvers for the flight test in the practice area. I had about 16 hours in type and that specific aircraft, which was a rental from the FBO. I returned to the airport and made a short field approach and landing with no problems. I back-taxied and made a soft field takeoff, and after flying the pattern made a practice balked approach with no problems. I continued around the pattern entering downwind leg. I made a simulated engine out by pulling the throttle to idle in the downwind leg opp the 26 end of the runway. I turned immediately on the base leg as is correct procedure and when I was certain the runway was made, I lowered my first notch of flaps and dropped the gear. At that time I received all 3 green lights that indicated that the gear were down and locked, and proceeded with my approach. I turned onto final adding the second then third notch of flaps, and also cleared the engine and set propeller control to maximum RPM. I did not rechk gear lights at this time. My landing flare point was near to the wind tee and the approach proceeded normally. I flared and when I went to touch down the gear either collapsed or retracted and the plane belly landed. I believe I felt the mains touch for a second, but the nose wheel did not seem to be extended. I immediately shut off electrical, magnetos. Checking outside for fuel and finding none, I powered up the master switch and called the unicom for assistance with no response. While I briefly had master on for this call, I held motor noises which I figured were the gear retraction motors so I shut down immediately in order not to cause further damage. The FBO and I notified the FAA GADO in south bend after the aircraft was removed from the runway. Due to the type of damage to the aircraft under NTSB part 830.2 definition would not be considered 'substantial damage,' which included: flaps, landing gear, wheels, tires and ground damage to propeller. This I believe would classify as an incident under this part and not require an NTSB report unless requested. The aircraft had a temporary placard stating that the automatic landing gear extension system was inoperative, and the automatic extension was in the up or override position. Also, one of the mechanics working there told me afterwards that they had a problem with the gear system a few weeks earlier, and I remember the aircraft was grounded a few days for a problem with the gear system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter could not remember if gear green lights on after landing as he had immediately secured electrical power. But when momentarily put power back on hear motors which he assumes were gear activation motors. Has not had any more information from mechanics as has been gone. Did received letter from FAA asking for information on qualifications and time and statement on incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA EITHER HAD GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG OR IT HAD BEEN RETRACTED.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING FOR MY COMMERCIAL PLT CHKRIDE (WHICH WAS SCHEDULED THE NEXT DAY) AND WAS REVIEWING THE REQUIRED MANEUVERS FOR THE FLT TEST IN THE PRACTICE AREA. I HAD ABOUT 16 HRS IN TYPE AND THAT SPECIFIC ACFT, WHICH WAS A RENTAL FROM THE FBO. I RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND MADE A SHORT FIELD APCH AND LNDG WITH NO PROBS. I BACK-TAXIED AND MADE A SOFT FIELD TKOF, AND AFTER FLYING THE PATTERN MADE A PRACTICE BALKED APCH WITH NO PROBS. I CONTINUED AROUND THE PATTERN ENTERING DOWNWIND LEG. I MADE A SIMULATED ENG OUT BY PULLING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE IN THE DOWNWIND LEG OPP THE 26 END OF THE RWY. I TURNED IMMEDIATELY ON THE BASE LEG AS IS CORRECT PROC AND WHEN I WAS CERTAIN THE RWY WAS MADE, I LOWERED MY FIRST NOTCH OF FLAPS AND DROPPED THE GEAR. AT THAT TIME I RECEIVED ALL 3 GREEN LIGHTS THAT INDICATED THAT THE GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED, AND PROCEEDED WITH MY APCH. I TURNED ONTO FINAL ADDING THE SECOND THEN THIRD NOTCH OF FLAPS, AND ALSO CLRED THE ENG AND SET PROP CONTROL TO MAX RPM. I DID NOT RECHK GEAR LIGHTS AT THIS TIME. MY LNDG FLARE POINT WAS NEAR TO THE WIND TEE AND THE APCH PROCEEDED NORMALLY. I FLARED AND WHEN I WENT TO TOUCH DOWN THE GEAR EITHER COLLAPSED OR RETRACTED AND THE PLANE BELLY LANDED. I BELIEVE I FELT THE MAINS TOUCH FOR A SECOND, BUT THE NOSE WHEEL DID NOT SEEM TO BE EXTENDED. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF ELECTRICAL, MAGNETOS. CHKING OUTSIDE FOR FUEL AND FINDING NONE, I POWERED UP THE MASTER SWITCH AND CALLED THE UNICOM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH NO RESPONSE. WHILE I BRIEFLY HAD MASTER ON FOR THIS CALL, I HELD MOTOR NOISES WHICH I FIGURED WERE THE GEAR RETRACTION MOTORS SO I SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER NOT TO CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE. THE FBO AND I NOTIFIED THE FAA GADO IN SOUTH BEND AFTER THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RWY. DUE TO THE TYPE OF DAMAGE TO THE ACFT UNDER NTSB PART 830.2 DEFINITION WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE,' WHICH INCLUDED: FLAPS, LNDG GEAR, WHEELS, TIRES AND GND DAMAGE TO PROP. THIS I BELIEVE WOULD CLASSIFY AS AN INCIDENT UNDER THIS PART AND NOT REQUIRE AN NTSB RPT UNLESS REQUESTED. THE ACFT HAD A TEMPORARY PLACARD STATING THAT THE AUTOMATIC LNDG GEAR EXTENSION SYS WAS INOP, AND THE AUTO EXTENSION WAS IN THE UP OR OVERRIDE POS. ALSO, ONE OF THE MECHS WORKING THERE TOLD ME AFTERWARDS THAT THEY HAD A PROB WITH THE GEAR SYS A FEW WKS EARLIER, AND I REMEMBER THE ACFT WAS GNDED A FEW DAYS FOR A PROB WITH THE GEAR SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR COULD NOT REMEMBER IF GEAR GREEN LIGHTS ON AFTER LNDG AS HE HAD IMMEDIATELY SECURED ELECTRICAL PWR. BUT WHEN MOMENTARILY PUT PWR BACK ON HEAR MOTORS WHICH HE ASSUMES WERE GEAR ACTIVATION MOTORS. HAS NOT HAD ANY MORE INFO FROM MECHS AS HAS BEEN GONE. DID RECEIVED LETTER FROM FAA ASKING FOR INFO ON QUALIFICATIONS AND TIME AND STATEMENT ON INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.