Mooney M20K pilot forgot to put the gear down due to traffic watch and steep approach over trees nea...

Attributes
ACN	523164
Time
Date	200108
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : akh.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : las.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 K (231)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	523164
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : gear up landing non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : prop strike noise other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Though I thought I had had enough rest, in retrospect, the recent arrival of a baby had adversely affected me. I forgot to put the landing gear down. It was an unfamiliar airport, relatively short. There were trees up to the end of the runway, so I used a relatively steep approach with the help of speed brakes, which was not my usual routine. I missed the gear down step of my checklist/gump check. I think the speed brakes disguised the lack of gear down though I failed to note the significance that I required a lower than usual RPM setting to get my desired descent rate. The difference would have been more marked if I had not extended the speed brakes. Everything else about the landing was perfect. I put it down just past the numbers after a nice approach and flare, but the propeller stopped after about 2 blades and then all I could do was ride it in. There was no damage to any control surface and I slid to a stop approximately 130 yards down the runway. The 2 main factors leading to this incident were probably fatigue and an out of the ordinary approach to landing with distractions such as an unfamiliar airport, numerous obstructions near the airport, trees up to the end of the runway and also other traffic in the pattern and departing the airport during my approach. Additionally the use of the speed brakes somewhat disguised the usual feel of extended gear in the mooney. The gear extension has very little effect on pitch and aside from the indictors, descent rate/power setting and speed and air noise and the indicators to note gear down and all of these are also affected by the speed brakes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was not only distracted by the trees near the end of the runway, but also his baby passenger. He has 10 yrs of experience in the mooney and more in other retractable gear aircraft, but this was the first mistake he has made in not putting the gear down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY M20K PLT FORGOT TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN DUE TO TFC WATCH AND STEEP APCH OVER TREES NEAR THE END OF THE RWY. THE ACFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND BOTTOM SKIN OF THE FUSELAGE.

Narrative: THOUGH I THOUGHT I HAD HAD ENOUGH REST, IN RETROSPECT, THE RECENT ARRIVAL OF A BABY HAD ADVERSELY AFFECTED ME. I FORGOT TO PUT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN. IT WAS AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, RELATIVELY SHORT. THERE WERE TREES UP TO THE END OF THE RWY, SO I USED A RELATIVELY STEEP APCH WITH THE HELP OF SPD BRAKES, WHICH WAS NOT MY USUAL ROUTINE. I MISSED THE GEAR DOWN STEP OF MY CHKLIST/GUMP CHK. I THINK THE SPD BRAKES DISGUISED THE LACK OF GEAR DOWN THOUGH I FAILED TO NOTE THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT I REQUIRED A LOWER THAN USUAL RPM SETTING TO GET MY DESIRED DSCNT RATE. THE DIFFERENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE MARKED IF I HAD NOT EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKES. EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE LNDG WAS PERFECT. I PUT IT DOWN JUST PAST THE NUMBERS AFTER A NICE APCH AND FLARE, BUT THE PROP STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 2 BLADES AND THEN ALL I COULD DO WAS RIDE IT IN. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY CTL SURFACE AND I SLID TO A STOP APPROX 130 YARDS DOWN THE RWY. THE 2 MAIN FACTORS LEADING TO THIS INCIDENT WERE PROBABLY FATIGUE AND AN OUT OF THE ORDINARY APCH TO LNDG WITH DISTRACTIONS SUCH AS AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, NUMEROUS OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR THE ARPT, TREES UP TO THE END OF THE RWY AND ALSO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN AND DEPARTING THE ARPT DURING MY APCH. ADDITIONALLY THE USE OF THE SPD BRAKES SOMEWHAT DISGUISED THE USUAL FEEL OF EXTENDED GEAR IN THE MOONEY. THE GEAR EXTENSION HAS VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON PITCH AND ASIDE FROM THE INDICTORS, DSCNT RATE/PWR SETTING AND SPD AND AIR NOISE AND THE INDICATORS TO NOTE GEAR DOWN AND ALL OF THESE ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THE SPD BRAKES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS NOT ONLY DISTRACTED BY THE TREES NEAR THE END OF THE RWY, BUT ALSO HIS BABY PAX. HE HAS 10 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MOONEY AND MORE IN OTHER RETRACTABLE GEAR ACFT, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST MISTAKE HE HAS MADE IN NOT PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN.

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.

Mooney M20K pilot forgot to put the gear down due to traffic watch and steep approach over trees near the end of the runway. The aircraft received damage to the propeller and bottom skin of the fuselage.