Narrative:

I was cleared by tower to land runway 17L while still 4-5 mi north of lincoln. Checklist (landing) was completed up to, but not including flaps, gear, and propellers. I completed the approach with some extra power because of gusting winds approximately 20 degrees right off the nose. I closed the throttles slowly. The warning horn sounded as I was flaring for touchdown. The ht of the aircraft above the runway also appeared too low (in retrospect -- very obvious). I then glanced down at the gear lights, saw they were not lit and pwred up for an immediate go around (full throttles). I then heard the sound of what appeared to be the tailskid sliding along the runway. There was no deviation in direction of travel of the aircraft, or any abnormal sensations through the flight controls. The aircraft lifted off with no vibration evident. I went around in the traffic pattern and landed with the gear down this time. Approximately 1 inch was ground off the left propeller and 1 blade was bent forward at the tip. The right propeller suffered minor flattening of the tips. There was a slight scrape mark on the tailskid, and the step was bent back. No damage was evident to any skin, control surfaces, or other part of the aircraft. Factors contributing to the incident include, 1) non-standard pattern (long final), 2) failure to use either written or gumps checklist on short final. Turbulence (gusting and windshear) in this case helped the situation because I carried extra power and only 1/2 flaps. Suggestions to prevent recurrence: use of checklist on short final. Call '3 green' during radio call on final. Have tower verify gear down as part of clearance to land.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA23 PLT ALMOST LANDS HIS ACFT GEAR UP AND GOES AROUND WHEN THE GEAR WARNING SOUNDS IN PARALLEL WITH A LOUD SCRAPING NOISE FROM THE TAILSKID AT LNK, NE.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED BY TWR TO LAND RWY 17L WHILE STILL 4-5 MI N OF LINCOLN. CHKLIST (LNDG) WAS COMPLETED UP TO, BUT NOT INCLUDING FLAPS, GEAR, AND PROPS. I COMPLETED THE APCH WITH SOME EXTRA PWR BECAUSE OF GUSTING WINDS APPROX 20 DEGS R OFF THE NOSE. I CLOSED THE THROTTLES SLOWLY. THE WARNING HORN SOUNDED AS I WAS FLARING FOR TOUCHDOWN. THE HT OF THE ACFT ABOVE THE RWY ALSO APPEARED TOO LOW (IN RETROSPECT -- VERY OBVIOUS). I THEN GLANCED DOWN AT THE GEAR LIGHTS, SAW THEY WERE NOT LIT AND PWRED UP FOR AN IMMEDIATE GAR (FULL THROTTLES). I THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE TAILSKID SLIDING ALONG THE RWY. THERE WAS NO DEV IN DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE ACFT, OR ANY ABNORMAL SENSATIONS THROUGH THE FLT CTLS. THE ACFT LIFTED OFF WITH NO VIBRATION EVIDENT. I WENT AROUND IN THE TFC PATTERN AND LANDED WITH THE GEAR DOWN THIS TIME. APPROX 1 INCH WAS GND OFF THE L PROP AND 1 BLADE WAS BENT FORWARD AT THE TIP. THE R PROP SUFFERED MINOR FLATTENING OF THE TIPS. THERE WAS A SLIGHT SCRAPE MARK ON THE TAILSKID, AND THE STEP WAS BENT BACK. NO DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO ANY SKIN, CTL SURFACES, OR OTHER PART OF THE ACFT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT INCLUDE, 1) NON-STANDARD PATTERN (LONG FINAL), 2) FAILURE TO USE EITHER WRITTEN OR GUMPS CHKLIST ON SHORT FINAL. TURB (GUSTING AND WINDSHEAR) IN THIS CASE HELPED THE SIT BECAUSE I CARRIED EXTRA PWR AND ONLY 1/2 FLAPS. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: USE OF CHKLIST ON SHORT FINAL. CALL '3 GREEN' DURING RADIO CALL ON FINAL. HAVE TWR VERIFY GEAR DOWN AS PART OF CLRNC TO LAND.

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.