Incident Overview
During a landing, the pilot reported that just as the airplane touched down, a thud was heard, and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. Emergency response personnel who arrived at the scene observed that the nose landing gear appeared to be extended, but both main landing gear appeared to be retracted.
Examination Findings
A postaccident examination and functional testing of the landing gear system revealed that the gear was capable of normal operation. No pre-accident malfunction or failure of the airplane was identified.
Passenger Account
The front seat passenger described the landing as smooth, noting that the airplane touched down "tail first with the propeller touching very soon thereafter." He also reported hearing a steady beeping noise during the approach to landing.
Landing Gear Warning System
According to the airplane manual, the landing gear warning horn is designed to sound intermittently if the airplane is operated with the throttle closed, the master switch on, and the landing gear not extended.
Summary
The available information indicates a non-standard landing sequence involving a tail-first touchdown and subsequent gear retraction, with no mechanical failure found in the landing gear system.