Narrative:

A friend and I, a CFI, were working on takeoffs and lndgs at georgetowns marshall field for proficiency. We proceeded to fly a series of 4 takeoffs/lndgs, 3 of which were high steep approachs. There were no problems with the gear through these 3 takeoff/lndgs. Our fourth approach was made low, and with a very shallow final. Landing gear was dropped as we turned into downwind. Both pilots observed a green light indication gear down. He also visually checked gear in after turning base to final. Prelndg check was reviewed. All systems appeared normal. Aircraft touched down on its fuselage with gear up. Upon impact landing, gear warning horn sounded and gear up light turned blue, although the gear handle was in the down and locked position. An eyewitness who lives in a subdivision on our base to final approach. Said aircraft was on a low approach over his house unlike the other steep approachs. The eyewitness, a pilot himself, proceeded to the airport because of his interest in the aircraft and was surprised to see it on its belly just seconds later. Earlier that day at the harrison county airport as we departed the airport unicom called and informed us our gear were up, but gear door remained down. I recycled gear, flew over for verification and gear were uplocked and doors closed. Supplemental information from acn 154946: the aircraft is an small aircraft 1970 model. Twice on takeoff the gear did not fully retract into the up and locked position and had to be recycled, once in one case and twice in another, but did in fact finally cycle properly. The aircraft was just a few hours out of an annual. Until there is a gear function test it won't be known if the gear was functioning properly but the warning horn was definitely not working properly. The only thing that could have been done differently would have been to take the aircraft directly back to the maintenance facility when the first recycle incident occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG.

Narrative: A FRIEND AND I, A CFI, WERE WORKING ON TKOFS AND LNDGS AT GEORGETOWNS MARSHALL FIELD FOR PROFICIENCY. WE PROCEEDED TO FLY A SERIES OF 4 TKOFS/LNDGS, 3 OF WHICH WERE HIGH STEEP APCHS. THERE WERE NO PROBS WITH THE GEAR THROUGH THESE 3 TKOF/LNDGS. OUR FOURTH APCH WAS MADE LOW, AND WITH A VERY SHALLOW FINAL. LNDG GEAR WAS DROPPED AS WE TURNED INTO DOWNWIND. BOTH PLTS OBSERVED A GREEN LIGHT INDICATION GEAR DOWN. HE ALSO VISUALLY CHKED GEAR IN AFTER TURNING BASE TO FINAL. PRELNDG CHK WAS REVIEWED. ALL SYSTEMS APPEARED NORMAL. ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS FUSELAGE WITH GEAR UP. UPON IMPACT LNDG, GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED AND GEAR UP LIGHT TURNED BLUE, ALTHOUGH THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS. AN EYEWITNESS WHO LIVES IN A SUBDIVISION ON OUR BASE TO FINAL APCH. SAID ACFT WAS ON A LOW APCH OVER HIS HOUSE UNLIKE THE OTHER STEEP APCHS. THE EYEWITNESS, A PLT HIMSELF, PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT BECAUSE OF HIS INTEREST IN THE ACFT AND WAS SURPRISED TO SEE IT ON ITS BELLY JUST SECS LATER. EARLIER THAT DAY AT THE HARRISON COUNTY ARPT AS WE DEPARTED THE ARPT UNICOM CALLED AND INFORMED US OUR GEAR WERE UP, BUT GEAR DOOR REMAINED DOWN. I RECYCLED GEAR, FLEW OVER FOR VERIFICATION AND GEAR WERE UPLOCKED AND DOORS CLOSED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 154946: THE ACFT IS AN SMA 1970 MODEL. TWICE ON TKOF THE GEAR DID NOT FULLY RETRACT INTO THE UP AND LOCKED POS AND HAD TO BE RECYCLED, ONCE IN ONE CASE AND TWICE IN ANOTHER, BUT DID IN FACT FINALLY CYCLE PROPERLY. THE ACFT WAS JUST A FEW HRS OUT OF AN ANNUAL. UNTIL THERE IS A GEAR FUNCTION TEST IT WON'T BE KNOWN IF THE GEAR WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY BUT THE WARNING HORN WAS DEFINITELY NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE ONLY THING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TAKE THE ACFT DIRECTLY BACK TO THE MAINT FAC WHEN THE FIRST RECYCLE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

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.