Narrative:

I entered the I52 traffic pattern at approximately 2000 to 2100 ft on downwind. I pulled the power back to approximately 80 to 85 KTS. At 45 degrees from the end of runway 36, I put on 1 notch of flaps and reduced the power to approximately 75 KTS. I put on a second notch of flaps on base, with a level to slightly nose-down attitude and announced short final for runway 18, second to land. I turned on final at approximately 1950 to 2000 ft and reduced power all the way back. I did the gumps check holding 65 to 70 KTS and had 3 green lights indicating the landing gear was down. I flew over the chevron stripes with the nose down. No gear warning horn was sounding at this time. I was told by radio that the landing gear was not down. At this point, the landing gear horn began sounding, but was just barely audible. I reached for the throttle, but it was too late. The plane had already come to rest on the runway. I told my wife to get out of the plane and then proceeded to shut everything down. Then I got out myself. I went back to the airplane to look at the landing gear lever -- it was still in the down position. I suggest that the back-up gear extender did not work. According to the pilots' information manual for this aircraft, the back-up gear extender extends the landing gear under 'low airspeed power conditions.' approximately 95 KIAS at any altitude, with power back. Also, the landing gear horn was not working properly. I was not wearing a headset and would have heard the warning horn if it had sounded at the proper time. I found out later that this airplane had a problem in tn where the tower dispatched emergency equipment when they wanted to land because they weren't sure the gear was working properly. If I had been told this, I would not have flown the plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that today he was pink- slipped by an FAA inspector on his flight check resulting from this incident. He said again that the gear handle was down. He said that his wife concurs that the gear warning horn did not come on until just before impact at about the same time the airport unicom operator told him the gear was not down. There is a feature that is designed to bypass the automatic extender when practicing stalls to keep the gear from falling out when the power is reduced. This feature was in the normal position so that the gear extender should have functioned. The arrow he has been flying since the gear-up landing has the automatic extender removed and is so placarded on the instrument panel and the gear warning horn will sound if the gear is not down and 2 notches of flaps are set. This is a local modification. There was very little damage to the aircraft and the landing gear fell to the extended position when the aircraft was raised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR LANDED PIPER ARROW IV WITH THE GEAR NOT DOWN.

Narrative: I ENTERED THE I52 TFC PATTERN AT APPROX 2000 TO 2100 FT ON DOWNWIND. I PULLED THE PWR BACK TO APPROX 80 TO 85 KTS. AT 45 DEGS FROM THE END OF RWY 36, I PUT ON 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS AND REDUCED THE PWR TO APPROX 75 KTS. I PUT ON A SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS ON BASE, WITH A LEVEL TO SLIGHTLY NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AND ANNOUNCED SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 18, SECOND TO LAND. I TURNED ON FINAL AT APPROX 1950 TO 2000 FT AND REDUCED PWR ALL THE WAY BACK. I DID THE GUMPS CHK HOLDING 65 TO 70 KTS AND HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS INDICATING THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN. I FLEW OVER THE CHEVRON STRIPES WITH THE NOSE DOWN. NO GEAR WARNING HORN WAS SOUNDING AT THIS TIME. I WAS TOLD BY RADIO THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. AT THIS POINT, THE LNDG GEAR HORN BEGAN SOUNDING, BUT WAS JUST BARELY AUDIBLE. I REACHED FOR THE THROTTLE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE PLANE HAD ALREADY COME TO REST ON THE RWY. I TOLD MY WIFE TO GET OUT OF THE PLANE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. THEN I GOT OUT MYSELF. I WENT BACK TO THE AIRPLANE TO LOOK AT THE LNDG GEAR LEVER -- IT WAS STILL IN THE DOWN POS. I SUGGEST THAT THE BACK-UP GEAR EXTENDER DID NOT WORK. ACCORDING TO THE PLTS' INFO MANUAL FOR THIS ACFT, THE BACK-UP GEAR EXTENDER EXTENDS THE LNDG GEAR UNDER 'LOW AIRSPD PWR CONDITIONS.' APPROXIMATELY 95 KIAS AT ANY ALT, WITH PWR BACK. ALSO, THE LNDG GEAR HORN WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I WAS NOT WEARING A HEADSET AND WOULD HAVE HEARD THE WARNING HORN IF IT HAD SOUNDED AT THE PROPER TIME. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THIS AIRPLANE HAD A PROB IN TN WHERE THE TWR DISPATCHED EMER EQUIP WHEN THEY WANTED TO LAND BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T SURE THE GEAR WAS WORKING PROPERLY. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD THIS, I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT TODAY HE WAS PINK- SLIPPED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR ON HIS FLT CHK RESULTING FROM THIS INCIDENT. HE SAID AGAIN THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN. HE SAID THAT HIS WIFE CONCURS THAT THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT COME ON UNTIL JUST BEFORE IMPACT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE ARPT UNICOM OPERATOR TOLD HIM THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. THERE IS A FEATURE THAT IS DESIGNED TO BYPASS THE AUTO EXTENDER WHEN PRACTICING STALLS TO KEEP THE GEAR FROM FALLING OUT WHEN THE PWR IS REDUCED. THIS FEATURE WAS IN THE NORMAL POS SO THAT THE GEAR EXTENDER SHOULD HAVE FUNCTIONED. THE ARROW HE HAS BEEN FLYING SINCE THE GEAR-UP LNDG HAS THE AUTO EXTENDER REMOVED AND IS SO PLACARDED ON THE INST PANEL AND THE GEAR WARNING HORN WILL SOUND IF THE GEAR IS NOT DOWN AND 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS ARE SET. THIS IS A LCL MODIFICATION. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND THE LNDG GEAR FELL TO THE EXTENDED POS WHEN THE ACFT WAS RAISED.

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.