What happened
The pilot in command, who was also a certified flight instructor, was conducting a local flight. During the approach phase, he was following another aircraft on final approach to the runway. The pilot indicated that he anticipated performing a go-around maneuver. When the preceding aircraft cleared the runway, he decided to proceed with the landing.
During this transition, his attention became diverted from the immediate task of configuring the aircraft for landing. As a result of this distraction, he failed to select the landing gear extension. The aircraft subsequently touched down on the runway with the landing gear retracted.
The investigation
Post-accident examination confirmed that the landing gear was not extended during touchdown. There were no reports of mechanical failure or system malfunction preventing gear deployment. The primary factor identified was human error related to task management and attention diversion.
Findings
The pilot admitted that his focus was split between monitoring the traffic ahead and preparing for a potential missed approach. This divided attention led to the omission of a critical checklist item. The failure to extend the landing gear resulted in significant damage to the aircraft's belly and gear doors upon impact with the runway surface.
Safety message
This incident highlights the importance of maintaining situational awareness during high-workload phases of flight. Pilots must ensure that critical configuration tasks, such as landing gear extension, are completed regardless of traffic conditions or anticipated maneuvers. Divided attention can lead to simple omissions with serious consequences.