Incident Overview
While flying over snow-covered terrain at approximately 200 feet above ground level, the pilot thought the terrain was flat. A passenger asked the pilot how far it was to Homer, Alaska. As the pilot was dialing in a frequency on the LORAN navigation receiver, the front-seat passenger called out the pilot's name. The pilot pulled back hard on the yoke, and a jolt was felt, indicating contact with the terrain.
Post-Contact Actions
After the jolt, the pilot increased altitude to assess damage and then returned to the airport. The pilot requested a low fly-by so that tower personnel could inspect the landing gear. Tower personnel reported that the landing gear was not extended. The pilot informed the tower that the landing gear was not retractable and declared an emergency.
Landing
The airplane was then belly landed.