Narrative:

I was the instructor on a local training flight. This was the third lesson for my student to get a chkout in this make and model aircraft. He is a private sel pilot and current and legal in complex aircraft; just needed a chkout in this model. This was an older aircraft and had no useful checklist. We had been building a checklist for all phases of flight over the previous lessons. This flight we did airwork; power on and off stalls and were almost over the airport when I simulated a complete engine failure by pulling the power to idle. We had briefed this would happen. I began reading 'engine failure at altitude' checklist which he had written previously. I was reading; doing lots of coaching and making small notes on it. We established best glide and trimmed. Located landing site. Tried restart (switch tanks; fuel pump on; mixture rich; carburetor heat; magnetic switch; primer; etc). Covered 'squawk and talk' and discussed planning the approach (close in base and final); went into securing the aircraft for touchdown. For reasons I cannot explain I was so busy using the checklist and making mental notes about modifications; and coaching his turns and gliding target 1/3 down the runway that I never put the landing gear down or did the check on short final to verify its position. He made a smooth touchdown right on the centerline with the gear up! It was so smooth and straight that neither wingtip touched nor did the flaps. We bent the propeller and scraped a 2 foot by 3 foot square on the belly. Lesson and comments: I should not have been making notes and focused on any checklist once I was below 1000 ft AGL. I must put it away and look at the 'big picture' and the task at hand and use the reliable 'gumpsss' checklist (which has worked for me for 23 yrs of instructing) in preparation for any landing. We had mins earlier been doing power off stalls where the gear warning horn was sounding. It was weak to me but I remember hearing it; he has a noise canceling headset and said he had never heard it. I never heard it during the engine out simulation. I wonder if I had mentally blocked it out due to ignoring it during previous stall series. Supplemental information from acn 761068: during a training flight; we were practicing emergency engine-out procedures. We set up for a landing on a paved runway; while going through our newly formulated emergency checklist. Our attention was diverted while concentrating on the approach; adjusting for a crosswind; etc. Neither of us heard the warning horn (possibly due to noise canceling headset) and it did not register with either of us that the gear was not down until we were in the flare. This aircraft has no manufacturer's checklists. We were developing many checklists over this and previous lessons. During our engine-out practice; instructor was reading/modifying engine-out checklist. We were both involved in much discussion concerning all procedures. This may have led to failure to verify gear down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR PRACTICING POWER OFF LANDING FORGET TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AND LAND GEAR UP.

Narrative: I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR ON A LCL TRAINING FLT. THIS WAS THE THIRD LESSON FOR MY STUDENT TO GET A CHKOUT IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL ACFT. HE IS A PVT SEL PLT AND CURRENT AND LEGAL IN COMPLEX ACFT; JUST NEEDED A CHKOUT IN THIS MODEL. THIS WAS AN OLDER ACFT AND HAD NO USEFUL CHKLIST. WE HAD BEEN BUILDING A CHKLIST FOR ALL PHASES OF FLT OVER THE PREVIOUS LESSONS. THIS FLT WE DID AIRWORK; PWR ON AND OFF STALLS AND WERE ALMOST OVER THE ARPT WHEN I SIMULATED A COMPLETE ENG FAILURE BY PULLING THE PWR TO IDLE. WE HAD BRIEFED THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I BEGAN READING 'ENG FAILURE AT ALT' CHKLIST WHICH HE HAD WRITTEN PREVIOUSLY. I WAS READING; DOING LOTS OF COACHING AND MAKING SMALL NOTES ON IT. WE ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE AND TRIMMED. LOCATED LNDG SITE. TRIED RESTART (SWITCH TANKS; FUEL PUMP ON; MIXTURE RICH; CARB HEAT; MAG SWITCH; PRIMER; ETC). COVERED 'SQUAWK AND TALK' AND DISCUSSED PLANNING THE APCH (CLOSE IN BASE AND FINAL); WENT INTO SECURING THE ACFT FOR TOUCHDOWN. FOR REASONS I CANNOT EXPLAIN I WAS SO BUSY USING THE CHKLIST AND MAKING MENTAL NOTES ABOUT MODIFICATIONS; AND COACHING HIS TURNS AND GLIDING TARGET 1/3 DOWN THE RWY THAT I NEVER PUT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN OR DID THE CHK ON SHORT FINAL TO VERIFY ITS POS. HE MADE A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN RIGHT ON THE CTRLINE WITH THE GEAR UP! IT WAS SO SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT THAT NEITHER WINGTIP TOUCHED NOR DID THE FLAPS. WE BENT THE PROP AND SCRAPED A 2 FOOT BY 3 FOOT SQUARE ON THE BELLY. LESSON AND COMMENTS: I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MAKING NOTES AND FOCUSED ON ANY CHKLIST ONCE I WAS BELOW 1000 FT AGL. I MUST PUT IT AWAY AND LOOK AT THE 'BIG PICTURE' AND THE TASK AT HAND AND USE THE RELIABLE 'GUMPSSS' CHKLIST (WHICH HAS WORKED FOR ME FOR 23 YRS OF INSTRUCTING) IN PREPARATION FOR ANY LNDG. WE HAD MINS EARLIER BEEN DOING PWR OFF STALLS WHERE THE GEAR WARNING HORN WAS SOUNDING. IT WAS WEAK TO ME BUT I REMEMBER HEARING IT; HE HAS A NOISE CANCELING HEADSET AND SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD IT. I NEVER HEARD IT DURING THE ENG OUT SIMULATION. I WONDER IF I HAD MENTALLY BLOCKED IT OUT DUE TO IGNORING IT DURING PREVIOUS STALL SERIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 761068: DURING A TRAINING FLT; WE WERE PRACTICING EMER ENG-OUT PROCS. WE SET UP FOR A LNDG ON A PAVED RWY; WHILE GOING THROUGH OUR NEWLY FORMULATED EMER CHKLIST. OUR ATTN WAS DIVERTED WHILE CONCENTRATING ON THE APCH; ADJUSTING FOR A XWIND; ETC. NEITHER OF US HEARD THE WARNING HORN (POSSIBLY DUE TO NOISE CANCELING HEADSET) AND IT DID NOT REGISTER WITH EITHER OF US THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN UNTIL WE WERE IN THE FLARE. THIS ACFT HAS NO MANUFACTURER'S CHKLISTS. WE WERE DEVELOPING MANY CHKLISTS OVER THIS AND PREVIOUS LESSONS. DURING OUR ENG-OUT PRACTICE; INSTRUCTOR WAS READING/MODIFYING ENG-OUT CHKLIST. WE WERE BOTH INVOLVED IN MUCH DISCUSSION CONCERNING ALL PROCS. THIS MAY HAVE LED TO FAILURE TO VERIFY GEAR DOWN.

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.