Narrative:

During a training flight for my initial CFI certificate; I was practicing power-off 180 degree approachs. My flight instructor; a second flight instructor in the back seat; and I were on board. After I undershot the selected touchdown point on an approach; I applied full power and initiated a go around. After announcing this to the tower; we were cleared for an early crosswind turn. I acknowledged; and turned crosswind at approximately midfield. Because of the early turn; we were abeam the selected touchdown point immediately after rolling wings level on downwind. Normally on downwind the initial gumps check would be completed; including lowering the gear. However; because we were performing power-off approachs; the throttle was pulled to idle when we were abeam the point and a turn toward the runway was initiated. Since we immediately had to begin the next approach; there was no time on downwind to complete the gumps check; and everyone on board overlooked it as they focused on the approach. During the 180 degree turn from downwind to final; the aircraft was high; and we discussed ways to correct this; which further distraction us from the gear being retracted. A final gumps check should also have been performed at this point to verify the gear were down; but this; too; was forgotten by all on board. Flaps were extended to increase the rate of descent; and the final approach and flare were normal. It was not noticed that the gear were retracted until we heard the fuselage scraping across the runway. The aircraft slid to a stop; and everyone exited the aircraft uninjured. With 3 commercial pilots on board; including 2 CFI's; this should not have happened. The early crosswind turn was the primary factor; which caused the entire pattern and approach to be hurried. Because the downwind leg only lasted a few seconds; normal procedures were overlooked; and the gear was not extended. Following this; correcting the high approach provided a further diversion. This could have easily been avoided had anyone on board noticed that the gear was retracted at any time during the approach. Performing gumps checks and verifying gear down has been emphasized throughout my training and that of everyone on board. During the 3 traffic patterns preceding the one in question; proper procedures had been followed; and the gear had been verified down twice during each pattern. Yet somehow; both were forgotten during the last pattern. Another way this could have been avoided is if the approach was abandoned and a go around was initiated as soon as it was apparent that the aircraft was too high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-28 PRACTICING PWR-OFF APCHS LANDED GEAR UP DURING INSTRUCTIONAL FLT.

Narrative: DURING A TRAINING FLT FOR MY INITIAL CFI CERTIFICATE; I WAS PRACTICING PWR-OFF 180 DEG APCHS. MY FLT INSTRUCTOR; A SECOND FLT INSTRUCTOR IN THE BACK SEAT; AND I WERE ON BOARD. AFTER I UNDERSHOT THE SELECTED TOUCHDOWN POINT ON AN APCH; I APPLIED FULL PWR AND INITIATED A GAR. AFTER ANNOUNCING THIS TO THE TWR; WE WERE CLRED FOR AN EARLY XWIND TURN. I ACKNOWLEDGED; AND TURNED XWIND AT APPROX MIDFIELD. BECAUSE OF THE EARLY TURN; WE WERE ABEAM THE SELECTED TOUCHDOWN POINT IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROLLING WINGS LEVEL ON DOWNWIND. NORMALLY ON DOWNWIND THE INITIAL GUMPS CHK WOULD BE COMPLETED; INCLUDING LOWERING THE GEAR. HOWEVER; BECAUSE WE WERE PERFORMING PWR-OFF APCHS; THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED TO IDLE WHEN WE WERE ABEAM THE POINT AND A TURN TOWARD THE RWY WAS INITIATED. SINCE WE IMMEDIATELY HAD TO BEGIN THE NEXT APCH; THERE WAS NO TIME ON DOWNWIND TO COMPLETE THE GUMPS CHK; AND EVERYONE ON BOARD OVERLOOKED IT AS THEY FOCUSED ON THE APCH. DURING THE 180 DEG TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL; THE ACFT WAS HIGH; AND WE DISCUSSED WAYS TO CORRECT THIS; WHICH FURTHER DISTR US FROM THE GEAR BEING RETRACTED. A FINAL GUMPS CHK SHOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AT THIS POINT TO VERIFY THE GEAR WERE DOWN; BUT THIS; TOO; WAS FORGOTTEN BY ALL ON BOARD. FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO INCREASE THE RATE OF DSCNT; AND THE FINAL APCH AND FLARE WERE NORMAL. IT WAS NOT NOTICED THAT THE GEAR WERE RETRACTED UNTIL WE HEARD THE FUSELAGE SCRAPING ACROSS THE RWY. THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP; AND EVERYONE EXITED THE ACFT UNINJURED. WITH 3 COMMERCIAL PLTS ON BOARD; INCLUDING 2 CFI'S; THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THE EARLY XWIND TURN WAS THE PRIMARY FACTOR; WHICH CAUSED THE ENTIRE PATTERN AND APCH TO BE HURRIED. BECAUSE THE DOWNWIND LEG ONLY LASTED A FEW SECONDS; NORMAL PROCS WERE OVERLOOKED; AND THE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. FOLLOWING THIS; CORRECTING THE HIGH APCH PROVIDED A FURTHER DIVERSION. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AVOIDED HAD ANYONE ON BOARD NOTICED THAT THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AT ANY TIME DURING THE APCH. PERFORMING GUMPS CHKS AND VERIFYING GEAR DOWN HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED THROUGHOUT MY TRAINING AND THAT OF EVERYONE ON BOARD. DURING THE 3 TFC PATTERNS PRECEDING THE ONE IN QUESTION; PROPER PROCS HAD BEEN FOLLOWED; AND THE GEAR HAD BEEN VERIFIED DOWN TWICE DURING EACH PATTERN. YET SOMEHOW; BOTH WERE FORGOTTEN DURING THE LAST PATTERN. ANOTHER WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IS IF THE APCH WAS ABANDONED AND A GAR WAS INITIATED AS SOON AS IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS TOO HIGH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.