Narrative:

Went to hangar with intent to move plane to open parking in prep for trip on aug/xx/94. Decided on flying pattern once since had to start up anyway. After preflight, took off alone for once around and land. Waited at runway 25 for a c- 150 to land. After C-150 was clear and run-up complete, took active runway 25. After gear-up and flaps-up, pitch/power/trim, entered right downwind for runway 25. Intent at takeoff was not to raise gear because I'd have to put it back down anyway: however, I routinely raised gear and flaps after attaining climb speed. In downwind, abeam of numbers, I noticed the C-150 taxiing onto active and that pilot announced departure. Somewhere between entering downwind and starting base I normally do the gump check. As I noticed the C-150 taking active, I reduced power and added 20 degree flaps. As I turned base, noticed takeoff roll of C-150. By now, I was entering final and noticed I was high. Reducing power and adding flaps to 30 degree (maximum), I began a more rapid descent. By this time, I was concentrating on maintaining aircraft stability and alignment with runway. Also announced final runway 25. Descent was smooth as was the flare and everything seemed normal until touchdown. The gear had never been deployed and the belly of the plane made contact with the runway. I do not remember ever hearing the gear warning horn and the abrupt gear-up landing shocked me with total disbelief. There were no injuries to me, minimal damage to the plane underside, but there was the propeller strike. Plane slid about 150 ft right along the centerline of runway. Immediately contacted lompoc traffic to announce runway was closed. Gump check had not been performed. Visual examination for wheels down had not been made. Yellow light indicator gear 'up' had not been noted as was the gear switch in 'up' not noted. The entire gump check had been overlooked. I consider myself a good, dedicated, and proficient pilot with a great love for flying. Knowing myself, my experience (430 hours rg, 400 this cardinal), I personally do not think I would just plain 'forget.' several things entered this, I think. My mind set that I was not going to raise the gear initially could have distracted from my concentration about the gear, the c- 150 announcing his departure and rolling onto active just as I was at a point for a last min gump check could have been a distraction, watching the traffic as I was in base, turning final, and noting I was too high could have been a distraction because I had to remove more power and add 30 degree flaps earlier than I normally would and my attention was directed to stabilize the descent. I was flying solo and felt that this might have been a factor in my allowing myself to be distracted during the closed pattern 'once around.' there is a great likelihood that the once-around-the-pattern may have struck me as so routine that my concentration was affected. The primary cause of this problem was breaking discipline which in-turn had been mitigated with distraction. Somewhere between turning downwind and landing, I should have picked up on the indicators (slow speed but still flying high, hearing the gear warning (which at this time we are not entirely certain had been working properly), noting that additional flaps and removal of power were required earlier, noting the 'yellow' warning light was on, looking out the window for main gear extension, and the gear switch itself still in up position. All of these omissions were certainly out-of-character for me as would be corroborated by my instructor partner in the aircraft--and my other partners and flying friends as well. Nevertheless, I allowed myself to become distracted which led to the unfortunate wheels-up landing. I am already scheduling myself for refresher dual flight training sessions and I firmly believe that in closed pattern work, the retractable gear should not be raised. That is in the 'once around' or multiple closed pattern lndgs when flying solo.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PF ALONE LANDED HIS RETRACTABLE SINGLE ENG GEAR UP WHILE MAKING A SINGLE CIRCUIT OF THE PATTERN.

Narrative: WENT TO HANGAR WITH INTENT TO MOVE PLANE TO OPEN PARKING IN PREP FOR TRIP ON AUG/XX/94. DECIDED ON FLYING PATTERN ONCE SINCE HAD TO START UP ANYWAY. AFTER PREFLT, TOOK OFF ALONE FOR ONCE AROUND AND LAND. WAITED AT RWY 25 FOR A C- 150 TO LAND. AFTER C-150 WAS CLR AND RUN-UP COMPLETE, TOOK ACTIVE RWY 25. AFTER GEAR-UP AND FLAPS-UP, PITCH/PWR/TRIM, ENTERED R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25. INTENT AT TKOF WAS NOT TO RAISE GEAR BECAUSE I'D HAVE TO PUT IT BACK DOWN ANYWAY: HOWEVER, I ROUTINELY RAISED GEAR AND FLAPS AFTER ATTAINING CLB SPD. IN DOWNWIND, ABEAM OF NUMBERS, I NOTICED THE C-150 TAXIING ONTO ACTIVE AND THAT PLT ANNOUNCED DEP. SOMEWHERE BTWN ENTERING DOWNWIND AND STARTING BASE I NORMALLY DO THE GUMP CHK. AS I NOTICED THE C-150 TAKING ACTIVE, I REDUCED PWR AND ADDED 20 DEG FLAPS. AS I TURNED BASE, NOTICED TKOF ROLL OF C-150. BY NOW, I WAS ENTERING FINAL AND NOTICED I WAS HIGH. REDUCING PWR AND ADDING FLAPS TO 30 DEG (MAX), I BEGAN A MORE RAPID DSCNT. BY THIS TIME, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON MAINTAINING ACFT STABILITY AND ALIGNMENT WITH RWY. ALSO ANNOUNCED FINAL RWY 25. DSCNT WAS SMOOTH AS WAS THE FLARE AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. THE GEAR HAD NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED AND THE BELLY OF THE PLANE MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. I DO NOT REMEMBER EVER HEARING THE GEAR WARNING HORN AND THE ABRUPT GEAR-UP LNDG SHOCKED ME WITH TOTAL DISBELIEF. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ME, MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE PLANE UNDERSIDE, BUT THERE WAS THE PROP STRIKE. PLANE SLID ABOUT 150 FT RIGHT ALONG THE CTRLINE OF RWY. IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED LOMPOC TFC TO ANNOUNCE RWY WAS CLOSED. GUMP CHK HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. VISUAL EXAM FOR WHEELS DOWN HAD NOT BEEN MADE. YELLOW LIGHT INDICATOR GEAR 'UP' HAD NOT BEEN NOTED AS WAS THE GEAR SWITCH IN 'UP' NOT NOTED. THE ENTIRE GUMP CHK HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED. I CONSIDER MYSELF A GOOD, DEDICATED, AND PROFICIENT PLT WITH A GREAT LOVE FOR FLYING. KNOWING MYSELF, MY EXPERIENCE (430 HRS RG, 400 THIS CARDINAL), I PERSONALLY DO NOT THINK I WOULD JUST PLAIN 'FORGET.' SEVERAL THINGS ENTERED THIS, I THINK. MY MIND SET THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO RAISE THE GEAR INITIALLY COULD HAVE DISTRACTED FROM MY CONCENTRATION ABOUT THE GEAR, THE C- 150 ANNOUNCING HIS DEP AND ROLLING ONTO ACTIVE JUST AS I WAS AT A POINT FOR A LAST MIN GUMP CHK COULD HAVE BEEN A DISTR, WATCHING THE TFC AS I WAS IN BASE, TURNING FINAL, AND NOTING I WAS TOO HIGH COULD HAVE BEEN A DISTR BECAUSE I HAD TO REMOVE MORE PWR AND ADD 30 DEG FLAPS EARLIER THAN I NORMALLY WOULD AND MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO STABILIZE THE DSCNT. I WAS FLYING SOLO AND FELT THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN MY ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED DURING THE CLOSED PATTERN 'ONCE AROUND.' THERE IS A GREAT LIKELIHOOD THAT THE ONCE-AROUND-THE-PATTERN MAY HAVE STRUCK ME AS SO ROUTINE THAT MY CONCENTRATION WAS AFFECTED. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS PROB WAS BREAKING DISCIPLINE WHICH IN-TURN HAD BEEN MITIGATED WITH DISTR. SOMEWHERE BTWN TURNING DOWNWIND AND LNDG, I SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP ON THE INDICATORS (SLOW SPD BUT STILL FLYING HIGH, HEARING THE GEAR WARNING (WHICH AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN HAD BEEN WORKING PROPERLY), NOTING THAT ADDITIONAL FLAPS AND REMOVAL OF PWR WERE REQUIRED EARLIER, NOTING THE 'YELLOW' WARNING LIGHT WAS ON, LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW FOR MAIN GEAR EXTENSION, AND THE GEAR SWITCH ITSELF STILL IN UP POS. ALL OF THESE OMISSIONS WERE CERTAINLY OUT-OF-CHARACTER FOR ME AS WOULD BE CORROBORATED BY MY INSTRUCTOR PARTNER IN THE ACFT--AND MY OTHER PARTNERS AND FLYING FRIENDS AS WELL. NEVERTHELESS, I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED WHICH LED TO THE UNFORTUNATE WHEELS-UP LNDG. I AM ALREADY SCHEDULING MYSELF FOR REFRESHER DUAL FLT TRAINING SESSIONS AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IN CLOSED PATTERN WORK, THE RETRACTABLE GEAR SHOULD NOT BE RAISED. THAT IS IN THE 'ONCE AROUND' OR MULTIPLE CLOSED PATTERN LNDGS WHEN FLYING SOLO.

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.