Narrative:

I was occupying the left seat and acting as PIC of aircraft during VOR a approach to runway 23 at ikk. Airport and radio traffic necessitated unplanned maneuvering inside the final approach fix. Due to a sudden failure of second pilot's headset microphone, which made intra-cockpit communication quite difficult, I directed him to manipulate the controls while I handled the radio and checklists. Although planning to execute a miss, this latter addition to the workload prompted my decision to land for correction of the problem, and I so informed the second pilot. Re-running the previously interrupted before landing checklist, I called for 'gear down' and reached under second pilot's arm to verify handle position, grasping and pressing it firmly down. Although awkward conditions prevented me from seeing the single green 'safe' light to the right of the console, I was convinced of the down position and proceeded with the remaining items on the list. (I use a mechanical sliding-tab post-mounted checklist) gusty air on the short final destabilized the approach on crossing the threshold. Thus, power sufficient to delay the gear unsafe horn was maintained until just before touchdown. The earphones and CTAF chatter canceled any audibility to this horn, and the aircraft subsequently touched down and slid to an otherwise uneventful stop. I believe that the chief contributing factors to this inadvertent occurrence were: 1) heavy local uncontrolled VFR traffic causing visual and aural distrs with interruption of final approach, 2) sudden deterioration of communication ability, 3) momentarily physically awkward cockpit conditions precluding positive gear-down confirmation, and 4) late power reduction negating unsafe gear warning. No immediate report was made to NTSB due to my interpretation of part 830, to wit: 830.2 defines 'aircraft accident' as one in which aircraft receives 'substantial damage,' and further defines that which is not considered substantial damage 'for purposes of this part' as 'bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, ground damage to propeller blades, or damage to flaps.' no other portion of this part appears applicable, as visual inspection of aircraft shows no other damage than that described above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS OCCUPYING THE L SEAT AND ACTING AS PIC OF ACFT DURING VOR A APCH TO RWY 23 AT IKK. ARPT AND RADIO TFC NECESSITATED UNPLANNED MANEUVERING INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX. DUE TO A SUDDEN FAILURE OF SECOND PLT'S HEADSET MIKE, WHICH MADE INTRA-COCKPIT COM QUITE DIFFICULT, I DIRECTED HIM TO MANIPULATE THE CTLS WHILE I HANDLED THE RADIO AND CHKLISTS. ALTHOUGH PLANNING TO EXECUTE A MISS, THIS LATTER ADDITION TO THE WORKLOAD PROMPTED MY DECISION TO LAND FOR CORRECTION OF THE PROB, AND I SO INFORMED THE SECOND PLT. RE-RUNNING THE PREVIOUSLY INTERRUPTED BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, I CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN' AND REACHED UNDER SECOND PLT'S ARM TO VERIFY HANDLE POS, GRASPING AND PRESSING IT FIRMLY DOWN. ALTHOUGH AWKWARD CONDITIONS PREVENTED ME FROM SEEING THE SINGLE GREEN 'SAFE' LIGHT TO THE R OF THE CONSOLE, I WAS CONVINCED OF THE DOWN POS AND PROCEEDED WITH THE REMAINING ITEMS ON THE LIST. (I USE A MECHANICAL SLIDING-TAB POST-MOUNTED CHKLIST) GUSTY AIR ON THE SHORT FINAL DESTABILIZED THE APCH ON XING THE THRESHOLD. THUS, PWR SUFFICIENT TO DELAY THE GEAR UNSAFE HORN WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE EARPHONES AND CTAF CHATTER CANCELED ANY AUDIBILITY TO THIS HORN, AND THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCHED DOWN AND SLID TO AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL STOP. I BELIEVE THAT THE CHIEF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INADVERTENT OCCURRENCE WERE: 1) HVY LCL UNCTLED VFR TFC CAUSING VISUAL AND AURAL DISTRS WITH INTERRUPTION OF FINAL APCH, 2) SUDDEN DETERIORATION OF COM ABILITY, 3) MOMENTARILY PHYSICALLY AWKWARD COCKPIT CONDITIONS PRECLUDING POSITIVE GEAR-DOWN CONFIRMATION, AND 4) LATE PWR REDUCTION NEGATING UNSAFE GEAR WARNING. NO IMMEDIATE RPT WAS MADE TO NTSB DUE TO MY INTERPRETATION OF PART 830, TO WIT: 830.2 DEFINES 'ACFT ACCIDENT' AS ONE IN WHICH ACFT RECEIVES 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE,' AND FURTHER DEFINES THAT WHICH IS NOT CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE 'FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PART' AS 'BENT FAIRINGS OR COWLING, DENTED SKIN, GND DAMAGE TO PROP BLADES, OR DAMAGE TO FLAPS.' NO OTHER PORTION OF THIS PART APPEARS APPLICABLE, AS VISUAL INSPECTION OF ACFT SHOWS NO OTHER DAMAGE THAN THAT DESCRIBED ABOVE.

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.