Incident Overview
A pilot reported that a positioning flight, conducted for a 100-hour inspection, experienced electrical problems throughout the flight. The pilot stated that during a night VOR approach, he extended the flaps and moved the landing gear handle to the down position. However, the aircraft touched down with the landing gear still retracted.
Fire and Damage
During the wheels-up landing, a fire occurred in the cockpit area, extensively damaging the instrument panel. The origin of the fire was not verified.
Landing Gear Examination
Following the incident, the landing gear uplocks were found unlatched, but the wheels remained in their respective wheel wells. When the aircraft was hoisted off the ground, all three wheels extended without difficulty when the emergency extension system was operated.
Electrical Motor Findings
The electrical gear motor and the inside of the gear motor compartment were not burned in the fire. However, the motor showed evidence of thermal overload damage around the winding.
Additional Information
No information was recorded on the tower tapes to indicate a gear problem before the aircraft landed.