Incident Description
A flight instructor serving as a safety pilot in the left seat observed a student pilot, who also held a commercial pilot certificate, flying from the right seat. The instructor reported that the student extended the wing flaps to 10 degrees while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. She expressed surprise at the action. The student then lowered the landing gear.
Sequence of Events
The instructor questioned the student about the order of operations, asking why he had lowered the flaps prior to the gear. The student replied that he had been taught to wait until descent to lower the landing gear. As the aircraft turned onto the final approach, the instructor checked the flap handle and the landing gear indicator lights. She noted that the red warning light was off. During the landing flare, the instructor heard the gear warning horn. The next recollection she had was stopping and observing a bent propeller.
Examination Findings
The student reported that he had performed a mental GUMPS check (a mnemonic for Gas, Undercarriage, Mixture, Propeller, Switches) but was distracted. A post-incident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact malfunction.