Narrative:

I was the pilot at the controls on a 5 mi final to mod. I lowered the gear and gradually put in full flaps on final. While completing the landing checklist, I noticed the landing gear indicator lights were not illuminated. We asked tower for a low approach and also asked them to tell us if they could check our gear. The nose gear appeared to be in the down position in the mirror on the left nacelle. Tower replied that the gear appeared to be down. I entered a right downwind for runway 28R. On downwind, we checked instrument/cockpit lights, circuit breakers, and the gear indicator lights, but found no faults. I maintained blue line until just short of the threshold and then eased off the power, bled off airspeed, and initiated a flare. The touchdown was firm but did not seem excessively hard. Nevertheless, the aircraft became airborne momentarily and then touched down again. After rolling a short distance, the aircraft became airborne again but soon after touched down again. I attempted to keep the aircraft on the surface, but it was about to become airborne again and the pilot not at the controls called for a go around. I immediately applied full power, gently lowered the nose to gain airspeed, and when a positive rate of climb was established, I began to retract the flaps. The pilot not at the controls then took the controls. On downwind, the other pilot (not pilot at the controls) pointed out a crack in the windscreen and we now had an unsafe gear light illuminated, 2 main gear indicator lights illuminated, but the nose gear indicator lights was still not illuminated. We made another low approach and again asked tower to check our gear. Tower again replied that the gear was down and nothing abnormal was noticed. We agreed to use the available runway liberally and touchdown lightly on the mains and in a nose high attitude so as to be in a good position for a go around if we sensed a failure. The aircraft seemed to touch down alright and no problems were noted in taxi. Upon shutdown, it was discovered that both propellers were bent. No abnormal flight characteristics were detected in-flight. Supplemental information from acn 575028: the pilot made a visual approach to runway 28R. His approach seemed normal, with 2 notches of flaps. His landing was hard, he bounced. He tried to save it by easing the nose down, he bounced again, this time harder. I called for a go around. At this point, I took the controls and continued the go around. I was not aware of any serious damage, except a crack to the lower left portion of the windscreen. I kept the confign the same. The aircraft's performance felt completely normal. The main landing gear now showed down and locked. The nose gear was not indicating down and locked and the gear unsafe warning light was also illuminated. I lowered the flaps to full (40 degrees) and landed normally and as softly as possible. Postflt inspection showed a dual propeller strike.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SENECA PLT LANDS VERY HARD AFTER EXPERIENCING A BAD GEAR LIGHT INDICATION, RESULTING IN A GAR AND A DUAL PROP STRIKE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT AT THE CTLS ON A 5 MI FINAL TO MOD. I LOWERED THE GEAR AND GRADUALLY PUT IN FULL FLAPS ON FINAL. WHILE COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST, I NOTICED THE LNDG GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. WE ASKED TWR FOR A LOW APCH AND ALSO ASKED THEM TO TELL US IF THEY COULD CHK OUR GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE IN THE DOWN POS IN THE MIRROR ON THE L NACELLE. TWR REPLIED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. I ENTERED A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 28R. ON DOWNWIND, WE CHKED INST/COCKPIT LIGHTS, CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS, BUT FOUND NO FAULTS. I MAINTAINED BLUE LINE UNTIL JUST SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD AND THEN EASED OFF THE PWR, BLED OFF AIRSPD, AND INITIATED A FLARE. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS FIRM BUT DID NOT SEEM EXCESSIVELY HARD. NEVERTHELESS, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE MOMENTARILY AND THEN TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. AFTER ROLLING A SHORT DISTANCE, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN BUT SOON AFTER TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. I ATTEMPTED TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE SURFACE, BUT IT WAS ABOUT TO BECOME AIRBORNE AGAIN AND THE PLT NOT AT THE CTLS CALLED FOR A GAR. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL PWR, GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPD, AND WHEN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB WAS ESTABLISHED, I BEGAN TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. THE PLT NOT AT THE CTLS THEN TOOK THE CTLS. ON DOWNWIND, THE OTHER PLT (NOT PLT AT THE CTLS) POINTED OUT A CRACK IN THE WINDSCREEN AND WE NOW HAD AN UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED, 2 MAIN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, BUT THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS WAS STILL NOT ILLUMINATED. WE MADE ANOTHER LOW APCH AND AGAIN ASKED TWR TO CHK OUR GEAR. TWR AGAIN REPLIED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTICED. WE AGREED TO USE THE AVAILABLE RWY LIBERALLY AND TOUCHDOWN LIGHTLY ON THE MAINS AND IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE SO AS TO BE IN A GOOD POS FOR A GAR IF WE SENSED A FAILURE. THE ACFT SEEMED TO TOUCH DOWN ALRIGHT AND NO PROBS WERE NOTED IN TAXI. UPON SHUTDOWN, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BOTH PROPS WERE BENT. NO ABNORMAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS WERE DETECTED INFLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 575028: THE PLT MADE A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R. HIS APCH SEEMED NORMAL, WITH 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS. HIS LNDG WAS HARD, HE BOUNCED. HE TRIED TO SAVE IT BY EASING THE NOSE DOWN, HE BOUNCED AGAIN, THIS TIME HARDER. I CALLED FOR A GAR. AT THIS POINT, I TOOK THE CTLS AND CONTINUED THE GAR. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE, EXCEPT A CRACK TO THE LOWER L PORTION OF THE WINDSCREEN. I KEPT THE CONFIGN THE SAME. THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE FELT COMPLETELY NORMAL. THE MAIN LNDG GEAR NOW SHOWED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT INDICATING DOWN AND LOCKED AND THE GEAR UNSAFE WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. I LOWERED THE FLAPS TO FULL (40 DEGS) AND LANDED NORMALLY AND AS SOFTLY AS POSSIBLE. POSTFLT INSPECTION SHOWED A DUAL PROP STRIKE.

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.