Narrative:

On jul/xa/01 a pilot/a&P acquaintance suggested we fly to new cuyama (L88). We left whp in my mzok and I let him fly below the 10000 ft overcast to L88. The overcast ended about 10 mi east of L88 and we arrived in the area and received no response on unicom. I took over the controls and did an overhead approach to check the windsock, which indicated a light wind from 230 degrees (runway 28 I declared while executing the 180 degree turn over the airport). This is where I normally drop the gear, but the copilot interrupted to tell me the wind now indicated runway 10 was appropriate. I said I would still use runway 28 because of the 'light wind condition.' I completed the gump(F) checklist but somehow missed the gear. I checked again on base (I remember clearly doing the magnetos, power, and flaps -- flaps on base but not the gear). I remember putting in the final flaps. I normally check the gear on short final, because of discussion about width of the runway (it was very satisfactory). On short final, I forgot this final check. I realized the gear wasn't down when the plane floated and the nose attitude got up without the gear touching. I checked flaps and gear as the controls were becoming mushy (light) and saw that the flaps were indicating down, but to my horror, the gear lever was in the up position. My immediate reaction was to get some rubber under the plane before mushing in, and to put in full power. It took less than 1 second to do this, but the wing stalled, and the propeller hit and we slid off the right side of the runway. Conclusion/comments: obviously I am angry with myself for somehow missing the gear in 3 or more checks -- downwind, base, and final -- and I am stunned that neither of us heard the gear horn. On the mooney, the gear horn comes on via an airspeed switch if the gear is not down. This same 'sonalert' device sounds if the throttle is reduced below a certain level. I do believe the 'sonalert' was on but neither of us heard it with our headsets on. I know that the sonalert can just barely be heard over the headsets, because I have heard it during practice sessions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20P PLT LANDED GEAR UP AT NEW CUYAMA, CA.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/01 A PLT/A&P ACQUAINTANCE SUGGESTED WE FLY TO NEW CUYAMA (L88). WE LEFT WHP IN MY MZOK AND I LET HIM FLY BELOW THE 10000 FT OVCST TO L88. THE OVCST ENDED ABOUT 10 MI E OF L88 AND WE ARRIVED IN THE AREA AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON UNICOM. I TOOK OVER THE CTLS AND DID AN OVERHEAD APCH TO CHK THE WINDSOCK, WHICH INDICATED A LIGHT WIND FROM 230 DEGS (RWY 28 I DECLARED WHILE EXECUTING THE 180 DEG TURN OVER THE ARPT). THIS IS WHERE I NORMALLY DROP THE GEAR, BUT THE COPLT INTERRUPTED TO TELL ME THE WIND NOW INDICATED RWY 10 WAS APPROPRIATE. I SAID I WOULD STILL USE RWY 28 BECAUSE OF THE 'LIGHT WIND CONDITION.' I COMPLETED THE GUMP(F) CHKLIST BUT SOMEHOW MISSED THE GEAR. I CHKED AGAIN ON BASE (I REMEMBER CLRLY DOING THE MAGNETOS, PWR, AND FLAPS -- FLAPS ON BASE BUT NOT THE GEAR). I REMEMBER PUTTING IN THE FINAL FLAPS. I NORMALLY CHK THE GEAR ON SHORT FINAL, BECAUSE OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WIDTH OF THE RWY (IT WAS VERY SATISFACTORY). ON SHORT FINAL, I FORGOT THIS FINAL CHK. I REALIZED THE GEAR WASN'T DOWN WHEN THE PLANE FLOATED AND THE NOSE ATTITUDE GOT UP WITHOUT THE GEAR TOUCHING. I CHKED FLAPS AND GEAR AS THE CTLS WERE BECOMING MUSHY (LIGHT) AND SAW THAT THE FLAPS WERE INDICATING DOWN, BUT TO MY HORROR, THE GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE UP POS. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO GET SOME RUBBER UNDER THE PLANE BEFORE MUSHING IN, AND TO PUT IN FULL PWR. IT TOOK LESS THAN 1 SECOND TO DO THIS, BUT THE WING STALLED, AND THE PROP HIT AND WE SLID OFF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. CONCLUSION/COMMENTS: OBVIOUSLY I AM ANGRY WITH MYSELF FOR SOMEHOW MISSING THE GEAR IN 3 OR MORE CHKS -- DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL -- AND I AM STUNNED THAT NEITHER OF US HEARD THE GEAR HORN. ON THE MOONEY, THE GEAR HORN COMES ON VIA AN AIRSPD SWITCH IF THE GEAR IS NOT DOWN. THIS SAME 'SONALERT' DEVICE SOUNDS IF THE THROTTLE IS REDUCED BELOW A CERTAIN LEVEL. I DO BELIEVE THE 'SONALERT' WAS ON BUT NEITHER OF US HEARD IT WITH OUR HEADSETS ON. I KNOW THAT THE SONALERT CAN JUST BARELY BE HEARD OVER THE HEADSETS, BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD IT DURING PRACTICE SESSIONS.

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.