Narrative:

Returning from eqy to bkw, sat night, VFR. Instrument lights failed, so used flashlight. Red gear up light very bright in my eyes, without instrument lights, so I turned it off. (First in series of mistakes.) approaching bkw tuned radio to unicom, 123.0 (so I thought, but erred here too), tried to call, and turn on runway lights, but did not work. Tried spare microphone, still no success. Had landing gear down, circling the airport, hoping someone would hear and turn on the lights so I could land. After several passes, I gave up and decided to go to blf, 30 mi south, so I raised the landing gear. (Third mistake.) I then looked out the window and the runway lights had come on. So, I turned into the pattern, and prepared to land, thinking the gear was down. I made a perfect landing, except without wheels. Monday 2 men from FAA came and went over the plane and logs with a fine tooth comb. They found the ADF and LORAN removed for repairs, without a logbook entry, and the ELT had not been inspected and recorded. I did not know about the rule to record a radio removal, and I thought it was the mechanic's job to care for the ELT at the annual inspection. We had recently purchased the aircraft, and it had a very extensive, and expensive annual inspection just previous to our purchase. I have owned airplanes and been flying for 30 yrs, and the mechanic always checked and cared for the ELT, since they were invented. The pilot is not allowed to do it! I had just purchased a copy of the new 1997 far's and had them in the hangar when the FAA men were there. We looked up the rules, and it would take a philadelphia lawyer to figure out what they are saying. A west virginia lawyer could not do it, let alone a pilot. Maintenance rules, such as ELT, transponder and static system checks, should be part of the annual inspection by a licensed a&P mechanic, not the responsibility of the pilot, who is not permitted to do the work anyway. More education is needed on the part of the FAA, to promote safety, instead of pursuing sanctions against pilots. Also, they are not consistent. 3 yrs ago, a part 135 operator at bkw landed his twin engined plane gear up, doing substantial damage to the control surfaces, and the FAA did not even come and look at his airplane or logbooks. He talked to them on the telephone.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT LANDED GEAR UP. DURING FAA FOLLOW UP THEY FOUND ACFT DISCREPANCIES.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM EQY TO BKW, SAT NIGHT, VFR. INST LIGHTS FAILED, SO USED FLASHLIGHT. RED GEAR UP LIGHT VERY BRIGHT IN MY EYES, WITHOUT INST LIGHTS, SO I TURNED IT OFF. (FIRST IN SERIES OF MISTAKES.) APCHING BKW TUNED RADIO TO UNICOM, 123.0 (SO I THOUGHT, BUT ERRED HERE TOO), TRIED TO CALL, AND TURN ON RWY LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT WORK. TRIED SPARE MIKE, STILL NO SUCCESS. HAD LNDG GEAR DOWN, CIRCLING THE ARPT, HOPING SOMEONE WOULD HEAR AND TURN ON THE LIGHTS SO I COULD LAND. AFTER SEVERAL PASSES, I GAVE UP AND DECIDED TO GO TO BLF, 30 MI S, SO I RAISED THE LNDG GEAR. (THIRD MISTAKE.) I THEN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND THE RWY LIGHTS HAD COME ON. SO, I TURNED INTO THE PATTERN, AND PREPARED TO LAND, THINKING THE GEAR WAS DOWN. I MADE A PERFECT LNDG, EXCEPT WITHOUT WHEELS. MONDAY 2 MEN FROM FAA CAME AND WENT OVER THE PLANE AND LOGS WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. THEY FOUND THE ADF AND LORAN REMOVED FOR REPAIRS, WITHOUT A LOGBOOK ENTRY, AND THE ELT HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AND RECORDED. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RULE TO RECORD A RADIO REMOVAL, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE MECH'S JOB TO CARE FOR THE ELT AT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. WE HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE ACFT, AND IT HAD A VERY EXTENSIVE, AND EXPENSIVE ANNUAL INSPECTION JUST PREVIOUS TO OUR PURCHASE. I HAVE OWNED AIRPLANES AND BEEN FLYING FOR 30 YRS, AND THE MECH ALWAYS CHKED AND CARED FOR THE ELT, SINCE THEY WERE INVENTED. THE PLT IS NOT ALLOWED TO DO IT! I HAD JUST PURCHASED A COPY OF THE NEW 1997 FAR'S AND HAD THEM IN THE HANGAR WHEN THE FAA MEN WERE THERE. WE LOOKED UP THE RULES, AND IT WOULD TAKE A PHILADELPHIA LAWYER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. A WEST VIRGINIA LAWYER COULD NOT DO IT, LET ALONE A PLT. MAINT RULES, SUCH AS ELT, XPONDER AND STATIC SYS CHKS, SHOULD BE PART OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION BY A LICENSED A&P MECH, NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLT, WHO IS NOT PERMITTED TO DO THE WORK ANYWAY. MORE EDUCATION IS NEEDED ON THE PART OF THE FAA, TO PROMOTE SAFETY, INSTEAD OF PURSUING SANCTIONS AGAINST PLTS. ALSO, THEY ARE NOT CONSISTENT. 3 YRS AGO, A PART 135 OPERATOR AT BKW LANDED HIS TWIN ENGINED PLANE GEAR UP, DOING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CTL SURFACES, AND THE FAA DID NOT EVEN COME AND LOOK AT HIS AIRPLANE OR LOGBOOKS. HE TALKED TO THEM ON THE TELEPHONE.

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.