What happened
During the approach phase, the pilot of the aircraft noticed the plane was not slowing as expected while turning onto the base leg. In response, the pilot extended the flaps to the full position. As the aircraft turned onto final approach, the speed increased to approximately 100 knots. The pilot maintained 15 inches of manifold pressure until reaching the flare.
Upon initiating the flare, the pilot reduced power to idle, at which point the landing gear warning horn began sounding. The pilot, focused on maintaining airspeed, initially mistook the sound for a stall warning and lowered the nose slightly. After leveling the wings and bleeding off airspeed, the aircraft touched down on the runway. Approximately halfway down the runway, a grinding sound occurred, and the pilot realized the landing gear was retracted.
The investigation
The on-scene investigation determined that the aircraft slid on its belly for over 1,000 feet. An inspection of the cockpit revealed the landing gear handle was in the up position. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage, including several metal ribs being ground through.
Findings
- The pilot admitted to forgetting to extend the landing gear.
- Although a checklist was available, the pilot did not use it during the approach.