Incident Summary
During a descent, the pilot reported being high and fast. He entered the downwind leg at 3,000 feet and, while still too high on base leg, extended the flaps. On final approach, he used full flaps at 80 mph. Approximately half a mile from the runway, he moved the landing gear switch to the down position but did not immediately check the gear down indicator lights. The pilot stated he did not verify the gear down light until over the runway, at which point no light was illuminated. He assessed it was too late to execute a go-around.
Touchdown and Aftermath
The aircraft touched down on the runway and slid for approximately 170 yards before coming to a stop. Upon opening the door and exiting, the pilot observed black smoke coming from beneath the airplane. A fire subsequently ignited and consumed the rear portion of the fuselage.
Pilot's Assessment
When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot responded that one should "not break from procedures of your normal landings."