Narrative:

The incident occurred while landing on runway 1 at the ucy, tn, airport. I had previously been flying PA32 (straight leg 6) into that airport earlier in the day. The winds had been gusting as high as 35 KTS throughout west tennessee and mississippi. Every airport we went to had 40-80 degrees of crosswind. Also, earlier in the day, I had already picked up 1 load of freight at ucy in the PA32. At that time, it was almost too much crosswind, but I was able to safely complete the landing and departure. While I was on my way home, a call had come in for another trip. The trip was over the same route I had flown earlier in the day. The load was bigger and with it getting colder and darker, we elected to use the PA31 for this trip. So I departed for a VFR flight to ucy. The flight had gone uneventfully. While setting up for a final approach, I was thinking about the earlier trip in the PA32 landing at ucy. The AWOS reported winds at 280 degrees, 18 KTS, gusting to 25 KTS. That was better than earlier but I still had alignment of the runway on my mind. As I approached a 3-4 mi final, I had completed my checklist except for rich mixture, which I was waiting for short final to complete. I kept my altitude a little high, as I always do in gusty winds. So, as I came back to idle power, fuel pumps were on, lights, mixture and propellers set -- everything was complete. The runway alignment couldn't have been better. As I went into my flare, I realized my ht was lower than normal for standard ground reference. Just the second I realized that, I heard propellers hitting the runway. All I could do that time was close mixture, magnetos, and secure all the system. Nobody was hurt. The plane went almost straight down the centerline of the runway, except I believe it had a tendency to wxvane into the wind. In conclusion, it is hard to believe it happened! It is the first time I've had any problem in 3700+ hours. I think flying 2 classes of airplanes that day could have been a factor. My previous experience there on the same day had all my thoughts and concentration on making the landing right. The time of day plus the rush of getting there to get the work in time could have been a factor. With the power back to idle, the gear horn did not sound (that will be checked). If it had, I could have aborted, remember there is a gear and do it right the next time around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF CHARTER CARGO FLT IN PA31 FAILS TO EXTEND GEAR FOR LNDG IN HVY XWIND CONDITIONS.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE LNDG ON RWY 1 AT THE UCY, TN, ARPT. I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FLYING PA32 (STRAIGHT LEG 6) INTO THAT ARPT EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE WINDS HAD BEEN GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 KTS THROUGHOUT W TENNESSEE AND MISSISSIPPI. EVERY ARPT WE WENT TO HAD 40-80 DEGS OF XWIND. ALSO, EARLIER IN THE DAY, I HAD ALREADY PICKED UP 1 LOAD OF FREIGHT AT UCY IN THE PA32. AT THAT TIME, IT WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH XWIND, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE LNDG AND DEP. WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, A CALL HAD COME IN FOR ANOTHER TRIP. THE TRIP WAS OVER THE SAME RTE I HAD FLOWN EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE LOAD WAS BIGGER AND WITH IT GETTING COLDER AND DARKER, WE ELECTED TO USE THE PA31 FOR THIS TRIP. SO I DEPARTED FOR A VFR FLT TO UCY. THE FLT HAD GONE UNEVENTFULLY. WHILE SETTING UP FOR A FINAL APCH, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE EARLIER TRIP IN THE PA32 LNDG AT UCY. THE AWOS RPTED WINDS AT 280 DEGS, 18 KTS, GUSTING TO 25 KTS. THAT WAS BETTER THAN EARLIER BUT I STILL HAD ALIGNMENT OF THE RWY ON MY MIND. AS I APCHED A 3-4 MI FINAL, I HAD COMPLETED MY CHKLIST EXCEPT FOR RICH MIXTURE, WHICH I WAS WAITING FOR SHORT FINAL TO COMPLETE. I KEPT MY ALT A LITTLE HIGH, AS I ALWAYS DO IN GUSTY WINDS. SO, AS I CAME BACK TO IDLE PWR, FUEL PUMPS WERE ON, LIGHTS, MIXTURE AND PROPS SET -- EVERYTHING WAS COMPLETE. THE RWY ALIGNMENT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER. AS I WENT INTO MY FLARE, I REALIZED MY HT WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL FOR STANDARD GND REF. JUST THE SECOND I REALIZED THAT, I HEARD PROPS HITTING THE RWY. ALL I COULD DO THAT TIME WAS CLOSE MIXTURE, MAGNETOS, AND SECURE ALL THE SYS. NOBODY WAS HURT. THE PLANE WENT ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY, EXCEPT I BELIEVE IT HAD A TENDENCY TO WXVANE INTO THE WIND. IN CONCLUSION, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED! IT IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD ANY PROB IN 3700+ HRS. I THINK FLYING 2 CLASSES OF AIRPLANES THAT DAY COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE THERE ON THE SAME DAY HAD ALL MY THOUGHTS AND CONCENTRATION ON MAKING THE LNDG RIGHT. THE TIME OF DAY PLUS THE RUSH OF GETTING THERE TO GET THE WORK IN TIME COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. WITH THE PWR BACK TO IDLE, THE GEAR HORN DID NOT SOUND (THAT WILL BE CHKED). IF IT HAD, I COULD HAVE ABORTED, REMEMBER THERE IS A GEAR AND DO IT RIGHT THE NEXT TIME AROUND.

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.