What happened
After flying in the local area, the pilot returned to the airport and entered a left downwind pattern for the runway. During the landing and flare, the pilot realized that the landing gear had not been deployed. The Cessna (type not specified in source) made contact with the runway surface and skidded approximately 1,000 to 1,200 feet. The aircraft then exited the runway into an area consisting of grass, weeds, and soft dirt before coming to a complete stop.
Following the incident, the aircraft was lifted to allow for the manual extension of the landing gear, after which it was towed to a hangar. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
The inspection of the aircraft revealed damage to the lower forward cockpit structures and the firewall.