Narrative:

At XA36Z on dec/sun/03, I was flying from det on an IFR flight plan to 3SQ. Upon seeing the airport beacon approximately 10 mi away, I canceled IFR and switched to advisory frequency. I entered a left downwind for runway 9, the winds were 150 degrees at 13 KTS gusting to 18 KTS. I made a normal approach to landing with flaps and touched down left of centerline. Due to crosswind, I was not satisfied with this landing, so I went around and retracted my landing gear. I made left traffic to runway 9 this time, forgetting to lower my landing gear. Due to the wind, I carried power throughout the approach landing without flaps. Upon hearing the plane scrape the runway, I added full power and went around again making left traffic runway 9. On my final approach, I landed without incident. Due to power setting slightly 12 inches of manifold pressure the warning horn did not sound. As for the actual gear up landing, I have nobody to blame but myself. However, there has been a few things that have come to light thinking back. First, runway 9/27 side identing lights are located as estimated 30 ft off either side. This gave me the illusion that I was further to the center of the runway than I actually was on the first attempted landing. Upon touchdown, I found myself close to the side of the runway much to my surprise. This made me decide I would go around, setting up for the next (wheels up) landing. Secondly, if I had known more about this particular runway, the whole situation would never have happened, as I would have landed fine the first time. I feel that if the warning horn would have had a higher default setting (maybe 15 inches as opposed to 12 inches of manifold pressure), it would have gone off and possibly averted the situation. The 2 contributing factors in this incident were the crosswind component and my diverted attention to making a centered landing, therefore, forgetting to put my gear down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT LANDED GEAR UP AFTER A GAR BECAUSE OF XWINDS.

Narrative: AT XA36Z ON DEC/SUN/03, I WAS FLYING FROM DET ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO 3SQ. UPON SEEING THE ARPT BEACON APPROX 10 MI AWAY, I CANCELED IFR AND SWITCHED TO ADVISORY FREQ. I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9, THE WINDS WERE 150 DEGS AT 13 KTS GUSTING TO 18 KTS. I MADE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG WITH FLAPS AND TOUCHED DOWN L OF CTRLINE. DUE TO XWIND, I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS LNDG, SO I WENT AROUND AND RETRACTED MY LNDG GEAR. I MADE L TFC TO RWY 9 THIS TIME, FORGETTING TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR. DUE TO THE WIND, I CARRIED PWR THROUGHOUT THE APCH LNDG WITHOUT FLAPS. UPON HEARING THE PLANE SCRAPE THE RWY, I ADDED FULL PWR AND WENT AROUND AGAIN MAKING L TFC RWY 9. ON MY FINAL APCH, I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DUE TO PWR SETTING SLIGHTLY 12 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE THE WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND. AS FOR THE ACTUAL GEAR UP LNDG, I HAVE NOBODY TO BLAME BUT MYSELF. HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE COME TO LIGHT THINKING BACK. FIRST, RWY 9/27 SIDE IDENTING LIGHTS ARE LOCATED AS ESTIMATED 30 FT OFF EITHER SIDE. THIS GAVE ME THE ILLUSION THAT I WAS FURTHER TO THE CTR OF THE RWY THAN I ACTUALLY WAS ON THE FIRST ATTEMPTED LNDG. UPON TOUCHDOWN, I FOUND MYSELF CLOSE TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY MUCH TO MY SURPRISE. THIS MADE ME DECIDE I WOULD GO AROUND, SETTING UP FOR THE NEXT (WHEELS UP) LNDG. SECONDLY, IF I HAD KNOWN MORE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR RWY, THE WHOLE SIT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, AS I WOULD HAVE LANDED FINE THE FIRST TIME. I FEEL THAT IF THE WARNING HORN WOULD HAVE HAD A HIGHER DEFAULT SETTING (MAYBE 15 INCHES AS OPPOSED TO 12 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE), IT WOULD HAVE GONE OFF AND POSSIBLY AVERTED THE SIT. THE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT WERE THE XWIND COMPONENT AND MY DIVERTED ATTN TO MAKING A CTRED LNDG, THEREFORE, FORGETTING TO PUT MY 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.