Narrative:

I checked out in the new aircraft at aviation in eau claire, wi with flight instrument. Because flight conditions were IMC or close to it, we did an instrument approach to runway 22. Because I had flown the smaller aircraft quite a bit, and because I also fly or have flown the many retractable gear aircraft in my club, I felt comfortable in the aircraft. I filed for pwk on an instrument flight plan and the flight went uneventfully. I began slowing down just prior to cutie intersection which is the FAF for the ILS to runway 16 at pwk. I usually drop the gear just before or at the OM, but for reasons I really can't explain, did not do so on this occasion. After or at the OM, I called the tower 'marker inbound' and received a roger. Thereafter, I was either informed by the tower that there was a twin right behind me. I inferred that I was to keep my speed up. Thereafter, I was informed that there was an aircraft backtaxiing on 16, so I was to slow down! I slowed down. After the MM, the air got turbulent and gusty and a pilot stated that he had gotten heavy gusts as he was landing. This was certainly on my mind as I lined up for landing. It was very gusty. As I was about to touch down, I didn't like the gusts and added throttle to stabilize and began to touch down again. It was then that I realized that the gear were not down, so I added full throttle, assumed a go around attitude, called tower and was instructed to land on 22R. The remainder of the flight went west/O incident. The aircraft performed as it had before. When I arrived at the parking area, I noticed that the propeller blade tips were bent aft and that was my first indication of aircraft damage. I have always heard, in my 30 yrs of accident free flying, that there are 'those who have and those who will!' I don't think that's true, but it happened to me. I think I need to go back to procedures and checklists and that old faithful gumps! I do think that the gear handle was in a place where I couldn't see it. I also never heard a gear warning horn. I do not think the accident was caused by an inadequate chkout at eau claire. The instrument was excellent and covered all the bases.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ON APCH TO PWK IN TURBULENCE FORGOT GEAR UNTIL APPROX 15' OFF GND. WENT AROUND LOWERED GEAR AND LANDED. POSTFLT INSPECTOIN REVEALED DAMAGED TO PROPELLER TIPS.

Narrative: I CHKED OUT IN THE NEW ACFT AT AVIATION IN EAU CLAIRE, WI WITH FLT INSTR. BECAUSE FLT CONDITIONS WERE IMC OR CLOSE TO IT, WE DID AN INSTRUMENT APCH TO RWY 22. BECAUSE I HAD FLOWN THE SMALLER ACFT QUITE A BIT, AND BECAUSE I ALSO FLY OR HAVE FLOWN THE MANY RETRACTABLE GEAR ACFT IN MY CLUB, I FELT COMFORTABLE IN THE ACFT. I FILED FOR PWK ON AN INSTRUMENT FLT PLAN AND THE FLT WENT UNEVENTFULLY. I BEGAN SLOWING DOWN JUST PRIOR TO CUTIE INTXN WHICH IS THE FAF FOR THE ILS TO RWY 16 AT PWK. I USUALLY DROP THE GEAR JUST BEFORE OR AT THE OM, BUT FOR REASONS I REALLY CAN'T EXPLAIN, DID NOT DO SO ON THIS OCCASION. AFTER OR AT THE OM, I CALLED THE TWR 'MARKER INBND' AND RECEIVED A ROGER. THEREAFTER, I WAS EITHER INFORMED BY THE TWR THAT THERE WAS A TWIN RIGHT BEHIND ME. I INFERRED THAT I WAS TO KEEP MY SPD UP. THEREAFTER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT BACKTAXIING ON 16, SO I WAS TO SLOW DOWN! I SLOWED DOWN. AFTER THE MM, THE AIR GOT TURBULENT AND GUSTY AND A PLT STATED THAT HE HAD GOTTEN HEAVY GUSTS AS HE WAS LNDG. THIS WAS CERTAINLY ON MY MIND AS I LINED UP FOR LNDG. IT WAS VERY GUSTY. AS I WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN, I DIDN'T LIKE THE GUSTS AND ADDED THROTTLE TO STABILIZE AND BEGAN TO TOUCH DOWN AGAIN. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT THE GEAR WERE NOT DOWN, SO I ADDED FULL THROTTLE, ASSUMED A GAR ATTITUDE, CALLED TWR AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND ON 22R. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WENT W/O INCIDENT. THE ACFT PERFORMED AS IT HAD BEFORE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE PARKING AREA, I NOTICED THAT THE PROP BLADE TIPS WERE BENT AFT AND THAT WAS MY FIRST INDICATION OF ACFT DAMAGE. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD, IN MY 30 YRS OF ACCIDENT FREE FLYING, THAT THERE ARE 'THOSE WHO HAVE AND THOSE WHO WILL!' I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE, BUT IT HAPPENED TO ME. I THINK I NEED TO GO BACK TO PROCS AND CHKLISTS AND THAT OLD FAITHFUL GUMPS! I DO THINK THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN A PLACE WHERE I COULDN'T SEE IT. I ALSO NEVER HEARD A GEAR WARNING HORN. I DO NOT THINK THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN INADEQUATE CHKOUT AT EAU CLAIRE. THE INSTR WAS EXCELLENT AND COVERED ALL THE BASES.

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.