Narrative:

Nashua, nh (ash) to morristown, nj (mmu). The WX along the route was extreme VMC. I departed ash at approximately XA30 am. I received flight following starting with ZBW a few mins after departure. I was handed off to bradley (bdl) .handed off to new york approach about 10 NM northeast of the cmk VOR. The approach was uneventful, and I intercepted the localizer for runway 23 at morristown (mmu) about 10 mi out. I don't have an instrument rating, but have had some practice with localizer and ILS approachs. I took the opportunity to practice an autoplt approach. I had the 2 axis autoplt slaved to the localizer and it was doing a fair job of tracking the localizer, although wind conditions were gusty (280 degrees 15g20 on the ground in the area). I contacted mmu tower and was instructed to make the straight in approach to runway 23 and report 4 mi out. The tower frequency was busy, and I reported a 3.5 mi final as soon as the frequency was quiet and was cleared to land on runway 23. At 2 mi out, I disconnected the autoplt and flew the approach by hand. I was having trouble tacking the centerline due to gusty conditions. I must say however that I was not feeling stressed as I have landed in considerably worse conditions (windshear, etc). During the flare I was drifting to the left of the centerline. I banked slightly right, and added left rudder for a normal crosswind landing. This stopped the drift, but I didn't like the look of my alignment. In retrospect I could have continued the landing without much risk, but at time, since I was not aligned with the runway and concerned with side loads due to a less than perfect crosswind technique, I elected to go around. I informed the tower 'air carrier X going around.' there was no reply. Climbing through 500 ft, the tower asked 'air carrier X do you have a problem?' I replied 'it didn't feel right, and was going around to try again.' the tower offered runway 30 (winds were 280 at 15g20) and I accepted. So, my upwind departure from runway 23 turned into a climbing crosswind to runway 30. Upon turning downwind for runway 30, a cessna called the tower and reported #1 for takeoff on runway 23. The cessna pilot was instructed to position and hold on runway 23...traffic turning base for runway 30. The cessna pilot didn't understand and asked the tower controller to 'say again.' the tower controller cleared me to land on runway 30 and then told the cessna pilot 'never mind, just position and hold runway 23.' once on final, I was looking to the right to verify that the cessna was indeed holding position. What I should have been doing is checking gear down and locked. I made a great approach to runway 30, beautiful flare and a touchdown that was honestly one of the smoothest I've made. Unfortunately, and unknowingly, with the gear up. Upon stopping (in about 40 ft) I informed the tower I had just made a gear up landing and evacuate/evacuationed the plane. There were no injuries (except to my pride) and the aircraft sustained very little damage. The 'rails' on the belly of the aircraft took the brunt of the damage, and it was minimal at that. Of course there was a propeller strike, so 'minimal damage' is a relative term. In retrospect, there were 2 key factors: 1) it was out of my normal routine when I did the go around to a perpendicular runway. I ran my checklist on arrival, but did not do it on the go around. 2) I was distracted on short final looking for the cessna who was told to position and hold on an intersecting runway. I should have been performing my second gear down and locked check, but didn't.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAD A GEAR UP LNDG AT MMU.

Narrative: NASHUA, NH (ASH) TO MORRISTOWN, NJ (MMU). THE WX ALONG THE RTE WAS EXTREME VMC. I DEPARTED ASH AT APPROX XA30 AM. I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING STARTING WITH ZBW A FEW MINS AFTER DEP. I WAS HANDED OFF TO BRADLEY (BDL) .HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK APCH ABOUT 10 NM NE OF THE CMK VOR. THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND I INTERCEPTED THE LOC FOR RWY 23 AT MORRISTOWN (MMU) ABOUT 10 MI OUT. I DON'T HAVE AN INST RATING, BUT HAVE HAD SOME PRACTICE WITH LOC AND ILS APCHS. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE AN AUTOPLT APCH. I HAD THE 2 AXIS AUTOPLT SLAVED TO THE LOC AND IT WAS DOING A FAIR JOB OF TRACKING THE LOC, ALTHOUGH WIND CONDITIONS WERE GUSTY (280 DEGS 15G20 ON THE GND IN THE AREA). I CONTACTED MMU TWR AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE THE STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 23 AND RPT 4 MI OUT. THE TWR FREQ WAS BUSY, AND I RPTED A 3.5 MI FINAL AS SOON AS THE FREQ WAS QUIET AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 23. AT 2 MI OUT, I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FLEW THE APCH BY HAND. I WAS HAVING TROUBLE TACKING THE CTRLINE DUE TO GUSTY CONDITIONS. I MUST SAY HOWEVER THAT I WAS NOT FEELING STRESSED AS I HAVE LANDED IN CONSIDERABLY WORSE CONDITIONS (WINDSHEAR, ETC). DURING THE FLARE I WAS DRIFTING TO THE L OF THE CTRLINE. I BANKED SLIGHTLY R, AND ADDED L RUDDER FOR A NORMAL XWIND LNDG. THIS STOPPED THE DRIFT, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE THE LOOK OF MY ALIGNMENT. IN RETROSPECT I COULD HAVE CONTINUED THE LNDG WITHOUT MUCH RISK, BUT AT TIME, SINCE I WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE RWY AND CONCERNED WITH SIDE LOADS DUE TO A LESS THAN PERFECT XWIND TECHNIQUE, I ELECTED TO GO AROUND. I INFORMED THE TWR 'ACR X GOING AROUND.' THERE WAS NO REPLY. CLBING THROUGH 500 FT, THE TWR ASKED 'ACR X DO YOU HAVE A PROB?' I REPLIED 'IT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT, AND WAS GOING AROUND TO TRY AGAIN.' THE TWR OFFERED RWY 30 (WINDS WERE 280 AT 15G20) AND I ACCEPTED. SO, MY UPWIND DEP FROM RWY 23 TURNED INTO A CLBING XWIND TO RWY 30. UPON TURNING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30, A CESSNA CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED #1 FOR TKOF ON RWY 23. THE CESSNA PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 23...TFC TURNING BASE FOR RWY 30. THE CESSNA PLT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AND ASKED THE TWR CTLR TO 'SAY AGAIN.' THE TWR CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 30 AND THEN TOLD THE CESSNA PLT 'NEVER MIND, JUST POS AND HOLD RWY 23.' ONCE ON FINAL, I WAS LOOKING TO THE R TO VERIFY THAT THE CESSNA WAS INDEED HOLDING POS. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IS CHKING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. I MADE A GREAT APCH TO RWY 30, BEAUTIFUL FLARE AND A TOUCHDOWN THAT WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE SMOOTHEST I'VE MADE. UNFORTUNATELY, AND UNKNOWINGLY, WITH THE GEAR UP. UPON STOPPING (IN ABOUT 40 FT) I INFORMED THE TWR I HAD JUST MADE A GEAR UP LNDG AND EVACED THE PLANE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES (EXCEPT TO MY PRIDE) AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED VERY LITTLE DAMAGE. THE 'RAILS' ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGE, AND IT WAS MINIMAL AT THAT. OF COURSE THERE WAS A PROP STRIKE, SO 'MINIMAL DAMAGE' IS A RELATIVE TERM. IN RETROSPECT, THERE WERE 2 KEY FACTORS: 1) IT WAS OUT OF MY NORMAL ROUTINE WHEN I DID THE GAR TO A PERPENDICULAR RWY. I RAN MY CHKLIST ON ARR, BUT DID NOT DO IT ON THE GAR. 2) I WAS DISTRACTED ON SHORT FINAL LOOKING FOR THE CESSNA WHO WAS TOLD TO POS AND HOLD ON AN INTERSECTING RWY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMING MY SECOND GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED CHK, BUT DIDN'T.

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.