What happened
The pilot reported that he was under the impression that the landing gear handle had been moved to the down position prior to final approach. However, upon touchdown, the aircraft contacted the runway with the gear retracted. The airplane slid along the pavement until it eventually came to a stop.
The investigation
Following the incident, a post-crash examination of the landing gear system was conducted to determine the mechanical status of the components. Inspections confirmed that the landing gear was indeed in the up position at the moment of runway contact. To verify the integrity of the mechanism, a subsequent operational test of the landing gear system was performed. This test revealed no discrepancies or mechanical faults with the system itself.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the incident was the pilot's misjudgment regarding the position of the landing gear handle. The investigation found that the aircraft's systems were functioning normally, as evidenced by the operational test which showed no mechanical issues. The event was attributed to human error rather than equipment failure.