Narrative:

Flew from rsn to lft. Nearing lft, approach was giving us vectors for a visual for runway 4R. Visibility was 4 mi and was unable to see the airport until 3 mi out. We told approach that we had the field in sight and she cleared us for the approach. When we were cleared for the visual approach we were at 1600 ft MSL and only 3 mi out. We were told to contact tower. When we did we requested a 360 degree turn on final to lose altitude. Prior to beginning the 360 degree turn, I noticed my student put the gear selector in the down position. As we circled on final, I was looking outside for traffic and also seeing where we were in relation to the runway. We lined up on final at approximately 800-900 ft MSL and proceeded to land. When we landed, the gear had not extended. We later realized that the breaker had popped during the gear extension. At no point did the gear warning horn or light activate. Some contributing factors were that we had to circle on final and that diverted our attention away from flying the plane. Also, my unfamiliarity with the plane. I had less than 2 hours when the incident happened and was not familiar with how the gear sounds going down, how the plane reacts when the gear is extended. The plane also had a history of the gear not extending several times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT FLYING A PA24 AT LFT FAILED TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR FOR LNDG RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: FLEW FROM RSN TO LFT. NEARING LFT, APCH WAS GIVING US VECTORS FOR A VISUAL FOR RWY 4R. VISIBILITY WAS 4 MI AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE ARPT UNTIL 3 MI OUT. WE TOLD APCH THAT WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND SHE CLRED US FOR THE APCH. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH WE WERE AT 1600 FT MSL AND ONLY 3 MI OUT. WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. WHEN WE DID WE REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN ON FINAL TO LOSE ALT. PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE 360 DEG TURN, I NOTICED MY STUDENT PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR IN THE DOWN POS. AS WE CIRCLED ON FINAL, I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR TFC AND ALSO SEEING WHERE WE WERE IN RELATION TO THE RWY. WE LINED UP ON FINAL AT APPROX 800-900 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. WHEN WE LANDED, THE GEAR HAD NOT EXTENDED. WE LATER REALIZED THAT THE BREAKER HAD POPPED DURING THE GEAR EXTENSION. AT NO POINT DID THE GEAR WARNING HORN OR LIGHT ACTIVATE. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THAT WE HAD TO CIRCLE ON FINAL AND THAT DIVERTED OUR ATTN AWAY FROM FLYING THE PLANE. ALSO, MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE PLANE. I HAD LESS THAN 2 HRS WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW THE GEAR SOUNDS GOING DOWN, HOW THE PLANE REACTS WHEN THE GEAR IS EXTENDED. THE PLANE ALSO HAD A HISTORY OF THE GEAR NOT EXTENDING SEVERAL TIMES.

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.