Narrative:

GPWS activated at 750 ft for landing gear not down. We immediately lowered the gear and made an uneventful landing. Several factors contributed to our failure to get the gear down. First, the copilot had hand flown the pattern (lots of vectoring) from about 8000 ft (autothrottles engaged), increasing my workload considerably. Second, we were being vectored behind a heavy jet and hit moderate wake turbulence at about 4000 ft, requiring a PA to the passenger. We were also slowed to 150 KTS very early in the pattern, and the copilot called for flaps 3 degrees, our normal point to also lower the gear, but did not call for the gear as we were too far out. We were also switched to the tower and cleared to land at about 12 mi out -- a very long, slow final and out of normal sequence (relax at last). At about 1500 ft, the copilot called flaps full, landing check. (I have 16 yrs in a DC9 where you get a warning flaps full.) as I started the checklist, I was distraction by some very light turbulence (the heavy was still in the back of my mind) and I missed or was not concentrating on the first and most important item in the checklist 'gear down and green.' complacency was a major factor in that we were both too comfortable at this point in the approach with all the 'difficult' stuff behind us. Something was nagging at me but I was thinking it was probably the wake turbulence. I always rechk lights, gear, flaps and spoilers before landing, but that is no substitute for good checklist discipline. Being alert is easy during the difficult phases of flight, but we reaffirmed how important it is to stay alert during the entire flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GEAR UP APCH BY AN A320 FLC WHO RECEIVE A GPWS GEAR UP WARNING ON SHORT FINAL AT 750 FT AGL ON FINAL TO RWY 21L AT DTW, MI.

Narrative: GPWS ACTIVATED AT 750 FT FOR LNDG GEAR NOT DOWN. WE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE GEAR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FAILURE TO GET THE GEAR DOWN. FIRST, THE COPLT HAD HAND FLOWN THE PATTERN (LOTS OF VECTORING) FROM ABOUT 8000 FT (AUTOTHROTTLES ENGAGED), INCREASING MY WORKLOAD CONSIDERABLY. SECOND, WE WERE BEING VECTORED BEHIND A HVY JET AND HIT MODERATE WAKE TURB AT ABOUT 4000 FT, REQUIRING A PA TO THE PAX. WE WERE ALSO SLOWED TO 150 KTS VERY EARLY IN THE PATTERN, AND THE COPLT CALLED FOR FLAPS 3 DEGS, OUR NORMAL POINT TO ALSO LOWER THE GEAR, BUT DID NOT CALL FOR THE GEAR AS WE WERE TOO FAR OUT. WE WERE ALSO SWITCHED TO THE TWR AND CLRED TO LAND AT ABOUT 12 MI OUT -- A VERY LONG, SLOW FINAL AND OUT OF NORMAL SEQUENCE (RELAX AT LAST). AT ABOUT 1500 FT, THE COPLT CALLED FLAPS FULL, LNDG CHK. (I HAVE 16 YRS IN A DC9 WHERE YOU GET A WARNING FLAPS FULL.) AS I STARTED THE CHKLIST, I WAS DISTR BY SOME VERY LIGHT TURB (THE HVY WAS STILL IN THE BACK OF MY MIND) AND I MISSED OR WAS NOT CONCENTRATING ON THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IN THE CHKLIST 'GEAR DOWN AND GREEN.' COMPLACENCY WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THAT WE WERE BOTH TOO COMFORTABLE AT THIS POINT IN THE APCH WITH ALL THE 'DIFFICULT' STUFF BEHIND US. SOMETHING WAS NAGGING AT ME BUT I WAS THINKING IT WAS PROBABLY THE WAKE TURB. I ALWAYS RECHK LIGHTS, GEAR, FLAPS AND SPOILERS BEFORE LNDG, BUT THAT IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD CHKLIST DISCIPLINE. BEING ALERT IS EASY DURING THE DIFFICULT PHASES OF FLT, BUT WE REAFFIRMED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STAY ALERT DURING THE ENTIRE FLT.

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.