Narrative:

I was flying under instruction for the preparation of my commercial check ride, which was previously scheduled for the morning of jul/xb/99. The evening of jul/xa/99, my instructor had me practicing commercial maneuvers for over 1 hour and then he requested that I fly back to our home airfield to practice short field lndgs and takeoffs before we concluded instruction for the day. We arrived inside the traffic pattern for runway 25L at long beach airport, I made a request to the tower for 'left close traffic for runway 25L.' the tower approved our request and cleared us to land on the same runway. After successfully completing our first attempt at a short field landing, my instructor had me exit the runway to set up for another departure from that same intersection. After cleared to taxi onto the same runway for departure, my instructor took control of the aircraft in order to demonstrate a short field takeoff. During and after departure, my instructor had complete control of the aircraft until we initiated our initial left crosswind turn, inside the traffic pattern for runway 25L. At that time, I regained the controls of the aircraft in preparation to perform a second short field landing on the same runway. As we were flying along the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, my instructor was explaining the most desirable or target airspds, altitudes, and vertical speeds that he wanted me to try and target at various stages of this maneuver in order to accomplish a short field landing to pts standards. Trying to absorb all of this information in such a short amount of time, I became distracted and too focused on what was just explained to me that I forgot to perform my usual pre-landing checklist thoroughly. I only remembered to add my flaps, enriched the mixture to the full position, and brought the propellers to a full forward position on short final. Paying very close attention to the airspeed and the altitude while I was on GS (using the VASI), I thought that everything was completed for a successful landing. This obviously was not the case once we touched down only to realize that the both of us forgot to engage the landing gear system while on downwind. The major lessons that I learned through this experience are, without any question, valuable tools that I will carry with myself for a lifetime of flying. It made me aware how easy it can be to become sidetracked or distracted inside a cockpit when there is so much going on in addition to just flying the aircraft. I learned that no matter whom I fly with, whether it is my flight instructor or my best friend, it is necessary to always make checklists a priority before anything else is discussed or focused on. In addition, it is necessary to fly the same consistent way with using your checklists regardless if an instructor is onboard. What had happened to us both is inexcusable and should never happen again. There is no room in a cockpit to feel relaxed and comfortable without wondering, 'what may have I forgotten?' this has been a valuable but very costly learning experience for the both of us and one we hope to never encounter again. At least, through it all, it will make me aware that when I become a flight instructor in the future, I will always make sure that safety becomes a priority with myself and my students.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT AND HIS INSTRUCTOR FLYING A PA28 IN PREPARATION FOR THE STUDENT'S COMMERCIAL CHK RIDE FAILED TO LOWER THE GEAR FOR LNDG RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING UNDER INSTRUCTION FOR THE PREPARATION OF MY COMMERCIAL CHK RIDE, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR THE MORNING OF JUL/XB/99. THE EVENING OF JUL/XA/99, MY INSTRUCTOR HAD ME PRACTICING COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS FOR OVER 1 HR AND THEN HE REQUESTED THAT I FLY BACK TO OUR HOME AIRFIELD TO PRACTICE SHORT FIELD LNDGS AND TKOFS BEFORE WE CONCLUDED INSTRUCTION FOR THE DAY. WE ARRIVED INSIDE THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 25L AT LONG BEACH ARPT, I MADE A REQUEST TO THE TWR FOR 'L CLOSE TFC FOR RWY 25L.' THE TWR APPROVED OUR REQUEST AND CLRED US TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT A SHORT FIELD LNDG, MY INSTRUCTOR HAD ME EXIT THE RWY TO SET UP FOR ANOTHER DEP FROM THAT SAME INTXN. AFTER CLRED TO TAXI ONTO THE SAME RWY FOR DEP, MY INSTRUCTOR TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE A SHORT FIELD TKOF. DURING AND AFTER DEP, MY INSTRUCTOR HAD COMPLETE CTL OF THE ACFT UNTIL WE INITIATED OUR INITIAL L XWIND TURN, INSIDE THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 25L. AT THAT TIME, I REGAINED THE CTLS OF THE ACFT IN PREPARATION TO PERFORM A SECOND SHORT FIELD LNDG ON THE SAME RWY. AS WE WERE FLYING ALONG THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TFC PATTERN, MY INSTRUCTOR WAS EXPLAINING THE MOST DESIRABLE OR TARGET AIRSPDS, ALTS, AND VERT SPDS THAT HE WANTED ME TO TRY AND TARGET AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THIS MANEUVER IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH A SHORT FIELD LNDG TO PTS STANDARDS. TRYING TO ABSORB ALL OF THIS INFO IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, I BECAME DISTRACTED AND TOO FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS JUST EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I FORGOT TO PERFORM MY USUAL PRE-LNDG CHKLIST THOROUGHLY. I ONLY REMEMBERED TO ADD MY FLAPS, ENRICHED THE MIXTURE TO THE FULL POS, AND BROUGHT THE PROPS TO A FULL FORWARD POS ON SHORT FINAL. PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTN TO THE AIRSPD AND THE ALT WHILE I WAS ON GS (USING THE VASI), I THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING WAS COMPLETED FOR A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT THE CASE ONCE WE TOUCHED DOWN ONLY TO REALIZE THAT THE BOTH OF US FORGOT TO ENGAGE THE LNDG GEAR SYS WHILE ON DOWNWIND. THE MAJOR LESSONS THAT I LEARNED THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE ARE, WITHOUT ANY QUESTION, VALUABLE TOOLS THAT I WILL CARRY WITH MYSELF FOR A LIFETIME OF FLYING. IT MADE ME AWARE HOW EASY IT CAN BE TO BECOME SIDETRACKED OR DISTRACTED INSIDE A COCKPIT WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN ADDITION TO JUST FLYING THE ACFT. I LEARNED THAT NO MATTER WHOM I FLY WITH, WHETHER IT IS MY FLT INSTRUCTOR OR MY BEST FRIEND, IT IS NECESSARY TO ALWAYS MAKE CHKLISTS A PRIORITY BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE IS DISCUSSED OR FOCUSED ON. IN ADDITION, IT IS NECESSARY TO FLY THE SAME CONSISTENT WAY WITH USING YOUR CHKLISTS REGARDLESS IF AN INSTRUCTOR IS ONBOARD. WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO US BOTH IS INEXCUSABLE AND SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THERE IS NO ROOM IN A COCKPIT TO FEEL RELAXED AND COMFORTABLE WITHOUT WONDERING, 'WHAT MAY HAVE I FORGOTTEN?' THIS HAS BEEN A VALUABLE BUT VERY COSTLY LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE BOTH OF US AND ONE WE HOPE TO NEVER ENCOUNTER AGAIN. AT LEAST, THROUGH IT ALL, IT WILL MAKE ME AWARE THAT WHEN I BECOME A FLT INSTRUCTOR IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY BECOMES A PRIORITY WITH MYSELF AND MY STUDENTS.

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.