Small aircraft lands with the landing gear up.

Attributes
ACN	175069
Time
Date	199104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tmb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 629 flight time type : 262
ASRS Report	175069
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On straight-in final 5 mi out, I began to discuss with the tower whether the mode C on my transponder was operating correctly. At 800', I went through gump. When I put the gear handle down, I received an unclear radio transmission from the tower, so I removed my hand form the gear lever before verifying 3 green. After my transmission I touched the 3 green indicator and said 3 green. I continued talking to the tower down to about 300'. I discovered the gear was up about 1 second before T/D when the tower said, '...go around, your gear is up.' but the aircraft had already begun hitting the ground, so I shut down the aircraft and evacked. I think the gear was up either because I inadvertently bumped the gear handle up when I dropped the microphone and picked it up somewhere between 800 and 300' in moderate turbulence, or I failed to get the handle in the full down position, so the gear may have slipped back up with the gear handle. To avoid this sort of thing in the future, pilots should avoid unnecessary conversation of any kind during short final, and always make a second gump check on short final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS WITH THE LNDG GEAR UP.

Narrative: ON STRAIGHT-IN FINAL 5 MI OUT, I BEGAN TO DISCUSS WITH THE TWR WHETHER THE MODE C ON MY XPONDER WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY. AT 800', I WENT THROUGH GUMP. WHEN I PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN, I RECEIVED AN UNCLEAR RADIO XMISSION FROM THE TWR, SO I REMOVED MY HAND FORM THE GEAR LEVER BEFORE VERIFYING 3 GREEN. AFTER MY XMISSION I TOUCHED THE 3 GREEN INDICATOR AND SAID 3 GREEN. I CONTINUED TALKING TO THE TWR DOWN TO ABOUT 300'. I DISCOVERED THE GEAR WAS UP ABOUT 1 SEC BEFORE T/D WHEN THE TWR SAID, '...GO AROUND, YOUR GEAR IS UP.' BUT THE ACFT HAD ALREADY BEGUN HITTING THE GND, SO I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND EVACKED. I THINK THE GEAR WAS UP EITHER BECAUSE I INADVERTENTLY BUMPED THE GEAR HANDLE UP WHEN I DROPPED THE MIC AND PICKED IT UP SOMEWHERE BTWN 800 AND 300' IN MODERATE TURB, OR I FAILED TO GET THE HANDLE IN THE FULL DOWN POS, SO THE GEAR MAY HAVE SLIPPED BACK UP WITH THE GEAR HANDLE. TO AVOID THIS SORT OF THING IN THE FUTURE, PLTS SHOULD AVOID UNNECESSARY CONVERSATION OF ANY KIND DURING SHORT FINAL, AND ALWAYS MAKE A SECOND GUMP CHK ON SHORT FINAL.

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.