Narrative:

Gear up landing at fort yukon, ak. At XA20 hours on aug/xa/98, I inadvertently landed a piper navajo chieftain aircraft on runway 21 without benefit of landing gear. I feel that overall fatigue was the major contributing cause of the incident. At the time, I had flown 10 of the previous 11 evenings (over 49 hours within the previous 11 days with 1 day off). The aircraft operation was a tourist flight from fairbanks to fort yukon and return. The VMC flight was normal until the arrival at fort yukon. The flaps were extended normally at the south shore of the yukon river and the power reduced to allow the airspeed to stabilize around 130 KIAS for landing gear extension. At this point, either a comment about the village or a passenger's question distraction me, and although the checklist was being used, the landing gear handle was not placed in the down position. The approach was normal until short final when a flock of large birds took flight from the area of the threshold lights. Birds are fairly normal at this location and are normally a non event as they disperse. This time, however, 2 of the birds flew down the runway toward the touchdown area. As we were overtaking them at a high rate of speed, I began to situation very high in the seat to monitor their location. This action was occurring at the same time as the final reduction of power and normally the final gear check before landing. The aircraft is equipped with a gear warning horn but it is not connected to the headset audio circuit. The warning horn is barely audible when the engines are running and a headset is worn. A gear up landing ensued with no injuries to the passenger or me and minimal damage to the aircraft (aircraft was ferried out within 72 hours). Aircraft damage was limited to those items listed in NTSB 830.2 definitions of the exclusions to substantial damage. I believe that the final location of the aircraft on the runway (centered, facing straight ahead) and the minimal damage are all consistent with good plting techniques. Do I regularly use the checklist? Always! I learned to fly in a military flying club and have taught in several military flying clubs. I used a checklist as a crew member in the military, and as a test engineer for manufacturer. My normal flight legs are approximately 1 hour or less, and of course begin with time for aircraft preflight, and are then interspersed with ground time for loading/unloading of the aircraft in the villages. I have flown 64 fort yukon tour flts since may/98. The normal tour flight engulfs 5 hours on the clock, although the flight time is normally 2.3 for the round trip. In the 13 months since my initial chkride, I have flown 783 hours. Closer adherence to the sterile cockpit rule (far 135.100) and checklist usage (far 135.83) may help to alleviate the situation but requiring aural warning system (landing gear warning, stall warning horns, etc) to be part of the audio circuit (headset) would provide timely warning of an unsafe condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT OF A PIPER CHIEFTAN PA31 FORGOT TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN DURING LNDG CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO INJURIES TO THE PAX OR HIMSELF.

Narrative: GEAR UP LNDG AT FORT YUKON, AK. AT XA20 HRS ON AUG/XA/98, I INADVERTENTLY LANDED A PIPER NAVAJO CHIEFTAIN ACFT ON RWY 21 WITHOUT BENEFIT OF LNDG GEAR. I FEEL THAT OVERALL FATIGUE WAS THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. AT THE TIME, I HAD FLOWN 10 OF THE PREVIOUS 11 EVENINGS (OVER 49 HRS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 11 DAYS WITH 1 DAY OFF). THE ACFT OP WAS A TOURIST FLT FROM FAIRBANKS TO FORT YUKON AND RETURN. THE VMC FLT WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE ARR AT FORT YUKON. THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED NORMALLY AT THE S SHORE OF THE YUKON RIVER AND THE PWR REDUCED TO ALLOW THE AIRSPD TO STABILIZE AROUND 130 KIAS FOR LNDG GEAR EXTENSION. AT THIS POINT, EITHER A COMMENT ABOUT THE VILLAGE OR A PAX'S QUESTION DISTR ME, AND ALTHOUGH THE CHKLIST WAS BEING USED, THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE WAS NOT PLACED IN THE DOWN POS. THE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL SHORT FINAL WHEN A FLOCK OF LARGE BIRDS TOOK FLT FROM THE AREA OF THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS. BIRDS ARE FAIRLY NORMAL AT THIS LOCATION AND ARE NORMALLY A NON EVENT AS THEY DISPERSE. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, 2 OF THE BIRDS FLEW DOWN THE RWY TOWARD THE TOUCHDOWN AREA. AS WE WERE OVERTAKING THEM AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD, I BEGAN TO SIT VERY HIGH IN THE SEAT TO MONITOR THEIR LOCATION. THIS ACTION WAS OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE FINAL REDUCTION OF PWR AND NORMALLY THE FINAL GEAR CHK BEFORE LNDG. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A GEAR WARNING HORN BUT IT IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE HEADSET AUDIO CIRCUIT. THE WARNING HORN IS BARELY AUDIBLE WHEN THE ENGS ARE RUNNING AND A HEADSET IS WORN. A GEAR UP LNDG ENSUED WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PAX OR ME AND MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT (ACFT WAS FERRIED OUT WITHIN 72 HRS). ACFT DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THOSE ITEMS LISTED IN NTSB 830.2 DEFINITIONS OF THE EXCLUSIONS TO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. I BELIEVE THAT THE FINAL LOCATION OF THE ACFT ON THE RWY (CTRED, FACING STRAIGHT AHEAD) AND THE MINIMAL DAMAGE ARE ALL CONSISTENT WITH GOOD PLTING TECHNIQUES. DO I REGULARLY USE THE CHKLIST? ALWAYS! I LEARNED TO FLY IN A MIL FLYING CLUB AND HAVE TAUGHT IN SEVERAL MIL FLYING CLUBS. I USED A CHKLIST AS A CREW MEMBER IN THE MIL, AND AS A TEST ENGINEER FOR MANUFACTURER. MY NORMAL FLT LEGS ARE APPROX 1 HR OR LESS, AND OF COURSE BEGIN WITH TIME FOR ACFT PREFLT, AND ARE THEN INTERSPERSED WITH GND TIME FOR LOADING/UNLOADING OF THE ACFT IN THE VILLAGES. I HAVE FLOWN 64 FORT YUKON TOUR FLTS SINCE MAY/98. THE NORMAL TOUR FLT ENGULFS 5 HRS ON THE CLOCK, ALTHOUGH THE FLT TIME IS NORMALLY 2.3 FOR THE ROUND TRIP. IN THE 13 MONTHS SINCE MY INITIAL CHKRIDE, I HAVE FLOWN 783 HRS. CLOSER ADHERENCE TO THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE (FAR 135.100) AND CHKLIST USAGE (FAR 135.83) MAY HELP TO ALLEVIATE THE SIT BUT REQUIRING AURAL WARNING SYS (LNDG GEAR WARNING, STALL WARNING HORNS, ETC) TO BE PART OF THE AUDIO CIRCUIT (HEADSET) WOULD PROVIDE TIMELY WARNING OF AN UNSAFE CONDITION.

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.