What happened
The aircraft was unintentionally landed with the landing gear in the retracted position. A certified flight instructor and a private pilot were on board at the time of the accident. The private pilot, occupying the left seat, was flying the aircraft. During the third attempt at landing, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear. Simultaneously, the certified flight instructor in the right seat was adjusting a newly installed intercom system and did not observe the position of the landing gear prior to touchdown.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft upon impact and the actions of the crew during the final approach. No mechanical failure of the gear extension mechanism was cited as a primary factor; rather, the focus remained on the procedural error during the landing sequence.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's failure to complete the pre-landing checklist or verify gear position and the instructor's distraction due to equipment adjustment. The combination resulted in a hard landing with no gear deployed.