GA small aircraft landed gear up following a steep unstable approach.

Attributes
ACN	135225
Time
Date	199001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mfd
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1085 flight time type : 171
ASRS Report	135225
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far 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:

On approach into mfd runway 32. The conditions were night VFR with a 5000' ceiling. I was handed off to the tower who cleared me for a left base to runway 32. I had identified the airport earlier but did not have the runway and asked the tower to turn up the runway lights. They did and I identified the runway. But I was too close and too high to make a normal approach. I decided to slow up, dump flaps and gear and do some s-turns to lose altitude. At this point I put the flaps down but not the gear. It is my normal procedure to lower gear with the first notch of flaps. As part of my approach planning, I had decided to let the middle marker beacon continue to sound until it turned off by itself. My intent was to determine how long it would stay on. I was high and in a steep descent when I passed over what I considered to be the approximately location of the middle marker. A horn came on. It sounded like the marker beacon. However, it was the gear horn. I had never heard the gear horn in that airplane. I didn't attempt to mute the beacon per my plan. I therefore, thought that the horn I was listening to was the middle marker. When the propeller first hit I instantly realized what had happened. I added power, not full, but enough to gain a little altitude, so that the gear could be lowered. I landed the airplane without further problems, and taxied to FBO.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LANDED GEAR UP FOLLOWING A STEEP UNSTABLE APCH.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO MFD RWY 32. THE CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT VFR WITH A 5000' CEILING. I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE TWR WHO CLRED ME FOR A LEFT BASE TO RWY 32. I HAD IDENTIFIED THE ARPT EARLIER BUT DID NOT HAVE THE RWY AND ASKED THE TWR TO TURN UP THE RWY LIGHTS. THEY DID AND I IDENTIFIED THE RWY. BUT I WAS TOO CLOSE AND TOO HIGH TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH. I DECIDED TO SLOW UP, DUMP FLAPS AND GEAR AND DO SOME S-TURNS TO LOSE ALT. AT THIS POINT I PUT THE FLAPS DOWN BUT NOT THE GEAR. IT IS MY NORMAL PROC TO LOWER GEAR WITH THE FIRST NOTCH OF FLAPS. AS PART OF MY APCH PLANNING, I HAD DECIDED TO LET THE MIDDLE MARKER BEACON CONTINUE TO SOUND UNTIL IT TURNED OFF BY ITSELF. MY INTENT WAS TO DETERMINE HOW LONG IT WOULD STAY ON. I WAS HIGH AND IN A STEEP DSCNT WHEN I PASSED OVER WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE THE APPROX LOCATION OF THE MIDDLE MARKER. A HORN CAME ON. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MARKER BEACON. HOWEVER, IT WAS THE GEAR HORN. I HAD NEVER HEARD THE GEAR HORN IN THAT AIRPLANE. I DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO MUTE THE BEACON PER MY PLAN. I THEREFORE, THOUGHT THAT THE HORN I WAS LISTENING TO WAS THE MIDDLE MARKER. WHEN THE PROPELLER FIRST HIT I INSTANTLY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ADDED POWER, NOT FULL, BUT ENOUGH TO GAIN A LITTLE ALT, SO THAT THE GEAR COULD BE LOWERED. I LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS, AND TAXIED TO FBO.

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.