Narrative:

I was completing the third landing of a night recurrency flight. On downwind, I lowered the first 10 degrees of flaps and placed the gear selector into the gear down position. The aircraft was a PA30-60 twin comanche. Because I was slightly high in altitude, I reduced power to idle and descended. The cockpit check did not draw any attention to any abnormalities. The gear warning horn did not sound when I reduced power to idle. On base leg, I lowered another 10 degrees of flaps. Turning final, I lowered the final flaps. Power adjustments were made on each leg. After reducing power to idle on downwind to descend, I added power after achieving pattern altitude to maintain 120 mph. Power was reduced slightly on base to maintain 110 mph and on final power was reduced to about 15 inches manifold pressure. On final, I also did a final gumps check, adjusting propellers and mixture to full forward, checking fuel pumps on and mains selected. I do not recall any abnormality in gear position. I did look out at the mirror on the left nacelle but it was too dark to see anything -- a flashlight shining on it did not help. On short final, with approach speed and glide path quite normal, I reduced power to idle and flared over the runway. While waiting to settle on the gear, I heard the scraping sound of the aircraft skidding on the runway and immediately reduced all levers to the rear position on the control pod. The aircraft came to a stop on the centerline. After a brief hesitation, I turned all switches off and exited the aircraft. Lessons learned: the dimmer of the single gear down light can easily be misinterped in the reduced light conditions of the cockpit. Triplechk everything!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWIN COMANCHE NEARLY PERFECT APCH MARRED BY PESKY GEAR UP LNDG AT VKX.

Narrative: I WAS COMPLETING THE THIRD LNDG OF A NIGHT RECURRENCY FLT. ON DOWNWIND, I LOWERED THE FIRST 10 DEGS OF FLAPS AND PLACED THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO THE GEAR DOWN POS. THE ACFT WAS A PA30-60 TWIN COMANCHE. BECAUSE I WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH IN ALT, I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND DSNDED. THE COCKPIT CHK DID NOT DRAW ANY ATTN TO ANY ABNORMALITIES. THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND WHEN I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE. ON BASE LEG, I LOWERED ANOTHER 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. TURNING FINAL, I LOWERED THE FINAL FLAPS. PWR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE ON EACH LEG. AFTER REDUCING PWR TO IDLE ON DOWNWIND TO DSND, I ADDED PWR AFTER ACHIEVING PATTERN ALT TO MAINTAIN 120 MPH. PWR WAS REDUCED SLIGHTLY ON BASE TO MAINTAIN 110 MPH AND ON FINAL PWR WAS REDUCED TO ABOUT 15 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ON FINAL, I ALSO DID A FINAL GUMPS CHK, ADJUSTING PROPS AND MIXTURE TO FULL FORWARD, CHKING FUEL PUMPS ON AND MAINS SELECTED. I DO NOT RECALL ANY ABNORMALITY IN GEAR POS. I DID LOOK OUT AT THE MIRROR ON THE L NACELLE BUT IT WAS TOO DARK TO SEE ANYTHING -- A FLASHLIGHT SHINING ON IT DID NOT HELP. ON SHORT FINAL, WITH APCH SPD AND GLIDE PATH QUITE NORMAL, I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND FLARED OVER THE RWY. WHILE WAITING TO SETTLE ON THE GEAR, I HEARD THE SCRAPING SOUND OF THE ACFT SKIDDING ON THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY REDUCED ALL LEVERS TO THE REAR POS ON THE CTL POD. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE CTRLINE. AFTER A BRIEF HESITATION, I TURNED ALL SWITCHES OFF AND EXITED THE ACFT. LESSONS LEARNED: THE DIMMER OF THE SINGLE GEAR DOWN LIGHT CAN EASILY BE MISINTERPED IN THE REDUCED LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE COCKPIT. TRIPLECHK EVERYTHING!

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.