A BE76 passenger, PNF, sat by as his friend, the PF, landed gear up at set.

Attributes
ACN	609504
Time
Date	200402
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : set.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Duchess 76
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	609504
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : birds other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was asked to be a passenger on a flight in a twin engine airplane that was just to be a few takeoffs and lndgs. The flight departed st charles municipal airport (3SQ) to go to st charles county airport (set) for some takeoffs and lndgs. After doing 3 or 4 takeoffs and lndgs without incident, we started another pattern. In doing so, there was some traffic in the area that was noted. When turning downwind we noticed a single engine aircraft coming at us from left to right (west to east) at the same altitude. The pilot tried contacting unknown airplane getting no response. It seemed if both airplanes stayed on same paths, a conflict would happen. This immediately consumed the pilot's attention. After continuing downwind leg, it seemed that the plane would pass behind with no incident. When turning base leg, the pilot noted a flock of large birds close to the approach path of the runway which got his attention. Upon turning final, the birds had not totally dissipated as there were a few stragglers which was noted by the pilot. The incident happened on the landing flare. The landing gear had not been properly extended by the pilot. The above incident resulted in a gear up landing. Factors I believe contributed to this gear up incident: the distrs on downwind, base leg and final were a main factor in this accident. The single engine airplane that was a collision hazard possibly might have shook the pilot up. The incident with the single engine airplane also took place where a pilot would normally put the gear down (put the pilot out of the normal routine). The birds on the base leg and final also kept his attention on other things besides the job at hand. Secondary factors: the pilot was current by FAA standards, but maybe not current in terms of being comfortable. There was a false security of having another pilot that was rated in the airplane catching any mistakes. The distrs (noted above) also consumed the passenger (PNF).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE76 PAX, PNF, SAT BY AS HIS FRIEND, THE PF, LANDED GEAR UP AT SET.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO BE A PAX ON A FLT IN A TWIN ENG AIRPLANE THAT WAS JUST TO BE A FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS. THE FLT DEPARTED ST CHARLES MUNICIPAL ARPT (3SQ) TO GO TO ST CHARLES COUNTY ARPT (SET) FOR SOME TKOFS AND LNDGS. AFTER DOING 3 OR 4 TKOFS AND LNDGS WITHOUT INCIDENT, WE STARTED ANOTHER PATTERN. IN DOING SO, THERE WAS SOME TFC IN THE AREA THAT WAS NOTED. WHEN TURNING DOWNWIND WE NOTICED A SINGLE ENG ACFT COMING AT US FROM L TO R (W TO E) AT THE SAME ALT. THE PLT TRIED CONTACTING UNKNOWN AIRPLANE GETTING NO RESPONSE. IT SEEMED IF BOTH AIRPLANES STAYED ON SAME PATHS, A CONFLICT WOULD HAPPEN. THIS IMMEDIATELY CONSUMED THE PLT'S ATTN. AFTER CONTINUING DOWNWIND LEG, IT SEEMED THAT THE PLANE WOULD PASS BEHIND WITH NO INCIDENT. WHEN TURNING BASE LEG, THE PLT NOTED A FLOCK OF LARGE BIRDS CLOSE TO THE APCH PATH OF THE RWY WHICH GOT HIS ATTN. UPON TURNING FINAL, THE BIRDS HAD NOT TOTALLY DISSIPATED AS THERE WERE A FEW STRAGGLERS WHICH WAS NOTED BY THE PLT. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE LNDG FLARE. THE LNDG GEAR HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY EXTENDED BY THE PLT. THE ABOVE INCIDENT RESULTED IN A GEAR UP LNDG. FACTORS I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS GEAR UP INCIDENT: THE DISTRS ON DOWNWIND, BASE LEG AND FINAL WERE A MAIN FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE SINGLE ENG AIRPLANE THAT WAS A COLLISION HAZARD POSSIBLY MIGHT HAVE SHOOK THE PLT UP. THE INCIDENT WITH THE SINGLE ENG AIRPLANE ALSO TOOK PLACE WHERE A PLT WOULD NORMALLY PUT THE GEAR DOWN (PUT THE PLT OUT OF THE NORMAL ROUTINE). THE BIRDS ON THE BASE LEG AND FINAL ALSO KEPT HIS ATTN ON OTHER THINGS BESIDES THE JOB AT HAND. SECONDARY FACTORS: THE PLT WAS CURRENT BY FAA STANDARDS, BUT MAYBE NOT CURRENT IN TERMS OF BEING COMFORTABLE. THERE WAS A FALSE SECURITY OF HAVING ANOTHER PLT THAT WAS RATED IN THE AIRPLANE CATCHING ANY MISTAKES. THE DISTRS (NOTED ABOVE) ALSO CONSUMED THE PAX (PNF).

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.