Narrative:

Gear up landing. Primary problem: pilot error. Released to proceed to hot springs airport, in ar from ZME. We were at 3500 ft approaching the field, unable to contact unicom. There is no tower at hot springs. With l-hand traffic for runway 5, there is a hill, so decided to do a 360 degree turn at the end of the runway. No other traffic in the pattern or area. Because of excessive altitude did a second 360 degree turn. Announced position repeatedly on unicom. Gear was activated on final turn to set up final to runway, but rated pilot (wife) in right seat said, 'your speed is too fast to put down the gear.' that was true, 150 mph. We usually don't put down the gear until we have 140 mph airspeed. I flipped the gear switch up and the gear was never extended. Supplemental information from acn 354447: my husband flew P51's in wwii and has flown bonanzas the past 25 yrs accident/incident free. He holds a commercial license from 1944 but did not activate the instrument rating after serving in the military. He is current to fly VFR and has had about 40 hours dual IFR instruction in 1993. I filed an IFR flight plan in my name and my husband sat left seat as the pilot and flew the aircraft. My husband wanted to put the gear down and I kept saying we're too fast. I thought he had lowered the gear. He says he started to and stopped because I said we were too fast. After descending to pattern altitude and slowing the plane, I did not say anything except you're right on the GS and commented on the lake below with cottages and boat docks. I fixated on the manifold pressure and couldn't understand why my husband had to cut off all power down to 8 inches of manifold pressure -- as low as it could go. It just didn't register and I never checked for 3 green, gear down! I usually always go through all the flying tasks and checks as if I were flying left seat. My husband is a competent pilot and is skilled landing the plane smoothly and well. Looking out the windshield and seeing a bent propeller was the biggest shock! The approach and smooth landing were perfect, except for one thing. I feel I failed my partnership in cockpit management. I am writing this report because my husband flew an instrument flight plan which I filed in my name. I inadvertently neglected to watch for the landing gear lights, 3 green, and we landed gear up. I got my hand held xceiver for use on the runway. I called ZME immediately and told them we needed help and what had happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG IN A BE35 AT A NON TWR ARPT. RATED PLT WIFE, PAX, SAID HE WAS TOO FAST FOR GEAR EXTENSION ON 360 DEG OVERHEAD, FAILED TO EXTEND PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: GEAR UP LNDG. PRIMARY PROB: PLT ERROR. RELEASED TO PROCEED TO HOT SPRINGS ARPT, IN AR FROM ZME. WE WERE AT 3500 FT APCHING THE FIELD, UNABLE TO CONTACT UNICOM. THERE IS NO TWR AT HOT SPRINGS. WITH L-HAND TFC FOR RWY 5, THERE IS A HILL, SO DECIDED TO DO A 360 DEG TURN AT THE END OF THE RWY. NO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN OR AREA. BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE ALT DID A SECOND 360 DEG TURN. ANNOUNCED POS REPEATEDLY ON UNICOM. GEAR WAS ACTIVATED ON FINAL TURN TO SET UP FINAL TO RWY, BUT RATED PLT (WIFE) IN R SEAT SAID, 'YOUR SPD IS TOO FAST TO PUT DOWN THE GEAR.' THAT WAS TRUE, 150 MPH. WE USUALLY DON'T PUT DOWN THE GEAR UNTIL WE HAVE 140 MPH AIRSPD. I FLIPPED THE GEAR SWITCH UP AND THE GEAR WAS NEVER EXTENDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354447: MY HUSBAND FLEW P51'S IN WWII AND HAS FLOWN BONANZAS THE PAST 25 YRS ACCIDENT/INCIDENT FREE. HE HOLDS A COMMERCIAL LICENSE FROM 1944 BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE THE INST RATING AFTER SERVING IN THE MIL. HE IS CURRENT TO FLY VFR AND HAS HAD ABOUT 40 HRS DUAL IFR INSTRUCTION IN 1993. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN IN MY NAME AND MY HUSBAND SAT L SEAT AS THE PLT AND FLEW THE ACFT. MY HUSBAND WANTED TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND I KEPT SAYING WE'RE TOO FAST. I THOUGHT HE HAD LOWERED THE GEAR. HE SAYS HE STARTED TO AND STOPPED BECAUSE I SAID WE WERE TOO FAST. AFTER DSNDING TO PATTERN ALT AND SLOWING THE PLANE, I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE GS AND COMMENTED ON THE LAKE BELOW WITH COTTAGES AND BOAT DOCKS. I FIXATED ON THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY HUSBAND HAD TO CUT OFF ALL PWR DOWN TO 8 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE -- AS LOW AS IT COULD GO. IT JUST DIDN'T REGISTER AND I NEVER CHKED FOR 3 GREEN, GEAR DOWN! I USUALLY ALWAYS GO THROUGH ALL THE FLYING TASKS AND CHKS AS IF I WERE FLYING L SEAT. MY HUSBAND IS A COMPETENT PLT AND IS SKILLED LNDG THE PLANE SMOOTHLY AND WELL. LOOKING OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND SEEING A BENT PROP WAS THE BIGGEST SHOCK! THE APCH AND SMOOTH LNDG WERE PERFECT, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. I FEEL I FAILED MY PARTNERSHIP IN COCKPIT MGMNT. I AM WRITING THIS RPT BECAUSE MY HUSBAND FLEW AN INST FLT PLAN WHICH I FILED IN MY NAME. I INADVERTENTLY NEGLECTED TO WATCH FOR THE LNDG GEAR LIGHTS, 3 GREEN, AND WE LANDED GEAR UP. I GOT MY HAND HELD XCEIVER FOR USE ON THE RWY. I CALLED ZME IMMEDIATELY AND TOLD THEM WE NEEDED HELP AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

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.