PA34 pilot lands gear up after getting green light gear down indicator.

Attributes
ACN	545194
Time
Date	200204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pie.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2306 flight time type : 86
ASRS Report	545194
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters : gear up landing maintenance problem : improper maintenance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on downwind for runway 35R at pie. I was #3 to land. During the downwind I was using the manufacturer's descent and landing checklist. My downwind was extended about 1 mi when I was told by the tower to begin my l-hand turn to the base leg. At that time I put the gear switch to the down position and I held my hand on the switch until I observed 3 green lights and no red light (red light is gear unsafe indication). Within about 20 seconds, I did the gumps and observed the green lights. I continued on the approach and was cleared to land. Just as I touched down, there was a noise and a jolt and I saw the propellers bend back on the right engine. The aircraft then slid to a stop on the runway centerline. At that time I shut all aircraft system off to prevent a fire. Before exiting the aircraft, I called the tower to inform them that plane landed with the gear up. Just before flying this aircraft it had an annual inspection, some extensive wiring for new avionics that were installed, and repairs to the landing gear warning system, which did not warn me of the gear not being down. Evidently somewhere between base leg and touchdown the gear had an uncommanded retraction. Another factor was that there was no warning from the control tower that the gear was not down. After the aircraft was removed from the runway, I inspected the aircraft and it appeared not to have suffered substantial damage. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the type of aircraft was a PA34 saratoga. Reporter had tested the gear warning system prior to entering the pattern and it had worked properly. Reporter also stated that when he put the gear handle down in the pattern, he did not notice an 'in transit' light. He did not notice any audible indication of the gear extending or retracting, but that this would normally be the case. Reporter states that maintenance personnel were unable to duplicate the problem on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34 PLT LANDS GEAR UP AFTER GETTING GREEN LIGHT GEAR DOWN INDICATOR.

Narrative: I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35R AT PIE. I WAS #3 TO LAND. DURING THE DOWNWIND I WAS USING THE MANUFACTURER'S DSCNT AND LNDG CHKLIST. MY DOWNWIND WAS EXTENDED ABOUT 1 MI WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR TO BEGIN MY L-HAND TURN TO THE BASE LEG. AT THAT TIME I PUT THE GEAR SWITCH TO THE DOWN POS AND I HELD MY HAND ON THE SWITCH UNTIL I OBSERVED 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND NO RED LIGHT (RED LIGHT IS GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION). WITHIN ABOUT 20 SECONDS, I DID THE GUMPS AND OBSERVED THE GREEN LIGHTS. I CONTINUED ON THE APCH AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. JUST AS I TOUCHED DOWN, THERE WAS A NOISE AND A JOLT AND I SAW THE PROPS BEND BACK ON THE R ENG. THE ACFT THEN SLID TO A STOP ON THE RWY CTRLINE. AT THAT TIME I SHUT ALL ACFT SYS OFF TO PREVENT A FIRE. BEFORE EXITING THE ACFT, I CALLED THE TWR TO INFORM THEM THAT PLANE LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP. JUST BEFORE FLYING THIS ACFT IT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, SOME EXTENSIVE WIRING FOR NEW AVIONICS THAT WERE INSTALLED, AND REPAIRS TO THE LNDG GEAR WARNING SYS, WHICH DID NOT WARN ME OF THE GEAR NOT BEING DOWN. EVIDENTLY SOMEWHERE BTWN BASE LEG AND TOUCHDOWN THE GEAR HAD AN UNCOMMANDED RETRACTION. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE CTL TWR THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. AFTER THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RWY, I INSPECTED THE ACFT AND IT APPEARED NOT TO HAVE SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TYPE OF ACFT WAS A PA34 SARATOGA. RPTR HAD TESTED THE GEAR WARNING SYS PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PATTERN AND IT HAD WORKED PROPERLY. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT WHEN HE PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN IN THE PATTERN, HE DID NOT NOTICE AN 'IN TRANSIT' LIGHT. HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY AUDIBLE INDICATION OF THE GEAR EXTENDING OR RETRACTING, BUT THAT THIS WOULD NORMALLY BE THE CASE. RPTR STATES THAT MAINT PERSONNEL WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROB ON THE GND.

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.