Narrative:

We took off from beluga airport at XA00 hours for the 15 min flight back to anc. I ran the radios while the copilot flew the leg. The flight was made in volpar turboliner (converted beech 18). The WX was VFR, winds on the ground at anc were 330 degrees at 11 KTS, and it was night. About 3 mi from the OM the copilot began to slow for the straight-in approach. Approximately on a 3 mi final, copilot reduced the power further to slow below gear speed and the gear horn activated. I silenced the horn and 1 or 2 seconds later, put the gear handle down. I continued with the landing final checklist while I assumed the gear were in transit. I came back to the gear indicators to check 3 down and locked. In the volpar, the indicators are 3 windows in a pedestal between the pilot's seats, which show the word 'up' or a picture of a wheel when down and locked. Apparently, my mind saw what it wanted to see, or simply 3 windows all the same, and I verbalized 3 down and locked and landing final checklist complete. I then proceeded to allow a gear up landing. Fortunately, no one was injured and little damage to the airframe itself (other than propellers and engines) resulted in the NTSB calling this an accident. A circuit breaker had popped in the distribution box, causing the gear to remain up once the gear handle was selected down. I feel that changing the gear indicators to green lights would keep the next guy from mistaking the indication. Also, simply an awareness during training and refreshers that the 'window' type gear indictor can get the pilot in trouble when he/she is concentrating on other things. I don't believe I simply paid the checklist 'lip service,' I referenced the list, performed the duties, but read the indicators incorrectly. Because I expected the gear to be down, I saw gear down. Supplemental information from acn 289331: we proceeded to touchdown gear up, with the PNF announcing the error as the plane skidded to a stop. He noted that the gear indicator symbols indicated 'up,' and that the gear circuit breaker was popped. The lack of drag from the gear not being down on final was difficult to detect due to the effects of the turbulence/speed gain/loss, and again due to a lack of experience in that particular aircraft. The aircraft has main gear which stays partly exposed even when retracted, so the aircraft basically landed on the mains and the propellers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEELS UP LNDG.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM BELUGA ARPT AT XA00 HRS FOR THE 15 MIN FLT BACK TO ANC. I RAN THE RADIOS WHILE THE COPLT FLEW THE LEG. THE FLT WAS MADE IN VOLPAR TURBOLINER (CONVERTED BEECH 18). THE WX WAS VFR, WINDS ON THE GND AT ANC WERE 330 DEGS AT 11 KTS, AND IT WAS NIGHT. ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE OM THE COPLT BEGAN TO SLOW FOR THE STRAIGHT-IN APCH. APPROX ON A 3 MI FINAL, COPLT REDUCED THE PWR FURTHER TO SLOW BELOW GEAR SPD AND THE GEAR HORN ACTIVATED. I SILENCED THE HORN AND 1 OR 2 SECONDS LATER, PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN. I CONTINUED WITH THE LNDG FINAL CHKLIST WHILE I ASSUMED THE GEAR WERE IN TRANSIT. I CAME BACK TO THE GEAR INDICATORS TO CHK 3 DOWN AND LOCKED. IN THE VOLPAR, THE INDICATORS ARE 3 WINDOWS IN A PEDESTAL BTWN THE PLT'S SEATS, WHICH SHOW THE WORD 'UP' OR A PICTURE OF A WHEEL WHEN DOWN AND LOCKED. APPARENTLY, MY MIND SAW WHAT IT WANTED TO SEE, OR SIMPLY 3 WINDOWS ALL THE SAME, AND I VERBALIZED 3 DOWN AND LOCKED AND LNDG FINAL CHKLIST COMPLETE. I THEN PROCEEDED TO ALLOW A GEAR UP LNDG. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED AND LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME ITSELF (OTHER THAN PROPS AND ENGS) RESULTED IN THE NTSB CALLING THIS AN ACCIDENT. A CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED IN THE DISTRIBUTION BOX, CAUSING THE GEAR TO REMAIN UP ONCE THE GEAR HANDLE WAS SELECTED DOWN. I FEEL THAT CHANGING THE GEAR INDICATORS TO GREEN LIGHTS WOULD KEEP THE NEXT GUY FROM MISTAKING THE INDICATION. ALSO, SIMPLY AN AWARENESS DURING TRAINING AND REFRESHERS THAT THE 'WINDOW' TYPE GEAR INDICTOR CAN GET THE PLT IN TROUBLE WHEN HE/SHE IS CONCENTRATING ON OTHER THINGS. I DON'T BELIEVE I SIMPLY PAID THE CHKLIST 'LIP SVC,' I REFED THE LIST, PERFORMED THE DUTIES, BUT READ THE INDICATORS INCORRECTLY. BECAUSE I EXPECTED THE GEAR TO BE DOWN, I SAW GEAR DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 289331: WE PROCEEDED TO TOUCHDOWN GEAR UP, WITH THE PNF ANNOUNCING THE ERROR AS THE PLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP. HE NOTED THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR SYMBOLS INDICATED 'UP,' AND THAT THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. THE LACK OF DRAG FROM THE GEAR NOT BEING DOWN ON FINAL WAS DIFFICULT TO DETECT DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF THE TURB/SPD GAIN/LOSS, AND AGAIN DUE TO A LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THAT PARTICULAR ACFT. THE ACFT HAS MAIN GEAR WHICH STAYS PARTLY EXPOSED EVEN WHEN RETRACTED, SO THE ACFT BASICALLY LANDED ON THE MAINS AND THE PROPS.

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.