Narrative:

I checked WX before departing on my way to ZZZ; a turf runway; for my commercial check ride. The day before; my instructor and I practiced an approach and landing into ZZZ because I never landed there before. On the approach to ZZZ on this day; I set up for the approach early (3-5 NM from ZZZ) as instructed the day before. Since visibility was lower than the previous day with my CFI; I had trouble finding the turf runway from a distance. So while looking for ZZZ I decided to set up for the approach since I knew I was close to it. Turned on landing light; flaps to 10 degrees; gear down; distraction looking for the airfield I did not hold the gear handle till the green light. But when I pulled power back completely to descend to 600 ft; which is pattern altitude; I heard the warning horn sound that the gear was not down and locked. I looked out and didn't see it. I looked at the gear handle and it was down; I decided to do what my instructor and I did during our training when the gear did not come down at times; banging on the center console where the gear pump is located. This occurred a few times during our training and maintenance looked at it; but could not find anything. The gear would work; but the issue would occur again; maintenance would look for problems and find nothing. So when the issue occurred during training I would bang on the side of the console as we did because that normally brought the gear down (I once even cut myself and still have a scar from hitting on the side). So when I noticed during the descent it was not coming down my heart sort of stopped and a bit of fear came over me. While descending and trying to find this grass/turf field I began to bang on the side of the center console; I expected it to come down as it had always done before; when it was stuck; nothing occurred. I retracted the gear handle; brought it back down to extend it; nothing happened. I was quite shaken and nervous that the gear might not come down; so I banged a little bit harder as the day I cut myself. While banging I noticed how low I became and looked at the altimeter. I could not find the grass field and I was just below 400 ft MSL. I don't know what came over me but I wanted to find this field and get this plane down safely. I told ATC I could not find the field and I was going to go back out and look for it at a higher altitude. He told me to make a 90 degree turn to the left and he will let me know when my nose points towards the field. I confirmed; and turned; then hit on the side console a few more times. This is the point where I can point out a few of my mistakes. 1) I should have mentioned the problem to ATC at that moment so he could probably assist me. 2) after doing that; climb to higher altitude and go through the checklist for gear problems. 3) I should have remained calmer and thought of 'other' options. 4) I had a lot of fuel on board; and the engine was not an issue (for some odd reason I felt as though; and treated the issue as though I had an engine problem and the aircraft need to come down safely. While turning left 90 degrees I left the gear down and pumped the emergency handle a few times; probably less than 5 times; in fact it was probably once or twice. This was another mistake. I should have remembered the part in my training where we are supposed to put the gear handle down and pump the emergency extension pump a couple of times. I was definitely foolish for not thinking of that; and pumping more. I saw the field and quickly thought of landing the plane safely. Forgetting to pump more probably (I'm not too sure if this was the reason for me not pumping more but it's a possibility; I just know I was glad to see the landing area). Thinking about it; it was stupid for me to go forward and land the aircraft gear up. But I did think of the fact that 'ok this is a turf/grass runway; it would be better than a regular asphalt or concrete runway.' it was as though I had no hope in the gear working; and I had over confidence in my landing ability to get out of the plane safely. I should have utilized all the resources I had to handle this issue more effectively (stayed in the air longer to access the situation). After talking with the aircraft and academy owner; I realize that as long as the engine was working I would be safe and fine and nothing bad would have happened. He was truly correct. I landed the aircraft safely and the only visible/physical damage was the propeller and DME antenna under the belly. Although I trusted more fear; anxiety; and my ability to land; I could have still been killed. With all that said; although the gear did not extend regularly I am still truly blessed to have walked away from this in one piece and not in pieces.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PRIVATE PLT; ENROUTE FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CHECK RIDE; LANDS WITH GEAR UP.

Narrative: I CHKED WX BEFORE DEPARTING ON MY WAY TO ZZZ; A TURF RWY; FOR MY COMMERCIAL CHK RIDE. THE DAY BEFORE; MY INSTRUCTOR AND I PRACTICED AN APCH AND LNDG INTO ZZZ BECAUSE I NEVER LANDED THERE BEFORE. ON THE APCH TO ZZZ ON THIS DAY; I SET UP FOR THE APCH EARLY (3-5 NM FROM ZZZ) AS INSTRUCTED THE DAY BEFORE. SINCE VISIBILITY WAS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS DAY WITH MY CFI; I HAD TROUBLE FINDING THE TURF RWY FROM A DISTANCE. SO WHILE LOOKING FOR ZZZ I DECIDED TO SET UP FOR THE APCH SINCE I KNEW I WAS CLOSE TO IT. TURNED ON LNDG LIGHT; FLAPS TO 10 DEGS; GEAR DOWN; DISTR LOOKING FOR THE AIRFIELD I DID NOT HOLD THE GEAR HANDLE TILL THE GREEN LIGHT. BUT WHEN I PULLED PWR BACK COMPLETELY TO DSND TO 600 FT; WHICH IS PATTERN ALT; I HEARD THE WARNING HORN SOUND THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. I LOOKED OUT AND DIDN'T SEE IT. I LOOKED AT THE GEAR HANDLE AND IT WAS DOWN; I DECIDED TO DO WHAT MY INSTRUCTOR AND I DID DURING OUR TRAINING WHEN THE GEAR DID NOT COME DOWN AT TIMES; BANGING ON THE CTR CONSOLE WHERE THE GEAR PUMP IS LOCATED. THIS OCCURRED A FEW TIMES DURING OUR TRAINING AND MAINT LOOKED AT IT; BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. THE GEAR WOULD WORK; BUT THE ISSUE WOULD OCCUR AGAIN; MAINT WOULD LOOK FOR PROBS AND FIND NOTHING. SO WHEN THE ISSUE OCCURRED DURING TRAINING I WOULD BANG ON THE SIDE OF THE CONSOLE AS WE DID BECAUSE THAT NORMALLY BROUGHT THE GEAR DOWN (I ONCE EVEN CUT MYSELF AND STILL HAVE A SCAR FROM HITTING ON THE SIDE). SO WHEN I NOTICED DURING THE DSCNT IT WAS NOT COMING DOWN MY HEART SORT OF STOPPED AND A BIT OF FEAR CAME OVER ME. WHILE DSNDING AND TRYING TO FIND THIS GRASS/TURF FIELD I BEGAN TO BANG ON THE SIDE OF THE CTR CONSOLE; I EXPECTED IT TO COME DOWN AS IT HAD ALWAYS DONE BEFORE; WHEN IT WAS STUCK; NOTHING OCCURRED. I RETRACTED THE GEAR HANDLE; BROUGHT IT BACK DOWN TO EXTEND IT; NOTHING HAPPENED. I WAS QUITE SHAKEN AND NERVOUS THAT THE GEAR MIGHT NOT COME DOWN; SO I BANGED A LITTLE BIT HARDER AS THE DAY I CUT MYSELF. WHILE BANGING I NOTICED HOW LOW I BECAME AND LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER. I COULD NOT FIND THE GRASS FIELD AND I WAS JUST BELOW 400 FT MSL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME BUT I WANTED TO FIND THIS FIELD AND GET THIS PLANE DOWN SAFELY. I TOLD ATC I COULD NOT FIND THE FIELD AND I WAS GOING TO GO BACK OUT AND LOOK FOR IT AT A HIGHER ALT. HE TOLD ME TO MAKE A 90 DEG TURN TO THE L AND HE WILL LET ME KNOW WHEN MY NOSE POINTS TOWARDS THE FIELD. I CONFIRMED; AND TURNED; THEN HIT ON THE SIDE CONSOLE A FEW MORE TIMES. THIS IS THE POINT WHERE I CAN POINT OUT A FEW OF MY MISTAKES. 1) I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THE PROB TO ATC AT THAT MOMENT SO HE COULD PROBABLY ASSIST ME. 2) AFTER DOING THAT; CLB TO HIGHER ALT AND GO THROUGH THE CHKLIST FOR GEAR PROBS. 3) I SHOULD HAVE REMAINED CALMER AND THOUGHT OF 'OTHER' OPTIONS. 4) I HAD A LOT OF FUEL ON BOARD; AND THE ENG WAS NOT AN ISSUE (FOR SOME ODD REASON I FELT AS THOUGH; AND TREATED THE ISSUE AS THOUGH I HAD AN ENG PROB AND THE ACFT NEED TO COME DOWN SAFELY. WHILE TURNING L 90 DEGS I LEFT THE GEAR DOWN AND PUMPED THE EMER HANDLE A FEW TIMES; PROBABLY LESS THAN 5 TIMES; IN FACT IT WAS PROBABLY ONCE OR TWICE. THIS WAS ANOTHER MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE REMEMBERED THE PART IN MY TRAINING WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN AND PUMP THE EMER EXTENSION PUMP A COUPLE OF TIMES. I WAS DEFINITELY FOOLISH FOR NOT THINKING OF THAT; AND PUMPING MORE. I SAW THE FIELD AND QUICKLY THOUGHT OF LNDG THE PLANE SAFELY. FORGETTING TO PUMP MORE PROBABLY (I'M NOT TOO SURE IF THIS WAS THE REASON FOR ME NOT PUMPING MORE BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY; I JUST KNOW I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE LNDG AREA). THINKING ABOUT IT; IT WAS STUPID FOR ME TO GO FORWARD AND LAND THE ACFT GEAR UP. BUT I DID THINK OF THE FACT THAT 'OK THIS IS A TURF/GRASS RWY; IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN A REGULAR ASPHALT OR CONCRETE RWY.' IT WAS AS THOUGH I HAD NO HOPE IN THE GEAR WORKING; AND I HAD OVER CONFIDENCE IN MY LNDG ABILITY TO GET OUT OF THE PLANE SAFELY. I SHOULD HAVE UTILIZED ALL THE RESOURCES I HAD TO HANDLE THIS ISSUE MORE EFFECTIVELY (STAYED IN THE AIR LONGER TO ACCESS THE SITUATION). AFTER TALKING WITH THE ACFT AND ACADEMY OWNER; I REALIZE THAT AS LONG AS THE ENG WAS WORKING I WOULD BE SAFE AND FINE AND NOTHING BAD WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. HE WAS TRULY CORRECT. I LANDED THE ACFT SAFELY AND THE ONLY VISIBLE/PHYSICAL DAMAGE WAS THE PROP AND DME ANTENNA UNDER THE BELLY. ALTHOUGH I TRUSTED MORE FEAR; ANXIETY; AND MY ABILITY TO LAND; I COULD HAVE STILL BEEN KILLED. WITH ALL THAT SAID; ALTHOUGH THE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND REGULARLY I AM STILL TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM THIS IN ONE PIECE AND NOT IN PIECES.

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.