What happened
The pilot was conducting an approach when he applied carburetor heat due to perceived engine roughness. Shortly after applying the heat, the tower cleared him to land behind another aircraft. At that moment, the pilot did not have the preceding aircraft in sight and spent several seconds looking for it.
During this search, the engine roughness dissipated. However, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear before touchdown, resulting in a gear-up landing.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the accident. It was determined that the pilot's attention was divided between monitoring the engine condition and visually acquiring the traffic ahead. This distraction led to the omission of the landing gear extension checklist item.
Findings
- Engine roughness initially prompted the use of carburetor heat, which later dissipated.
- The pilot was not injured in the incident.
- The primary factor was the pilot's failure to extend the landing gear.
- Distraction caused by searching for traffic contributed to the error.
Safety message
Pilots must maintain situational awareness during critical phases of flight. Diverting attention to locate traffic or monitor engine parameters should not compromise basic checklist completion, such as extending the landing gear.