Incident Overview
An airline transport certificated air taxi pilot was positioning the aircraft to pick up passengers at a remote airstrip. During the approach to land, the pilot encountered low-level turbulence and strong winds, which initially made him unsure whether he could complete the landing safely. As he turned the aircraft onto the final approach segment, the turbulence diminished, leading him to decide to proceed with the landing.
Decision to Land Longer
The pilot observed a large pool of water on the runway and chose to land longer than normal to avoid it. Shortly after passing the water pool, the aircraft settled onto the runway with the landing gear still retracted.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the aircraft and that he simply forgot to lower the landing gear. He stated that the gear-up warning horn did not activate because he had increased the power setting to fly over the water pool, which likely prevented the warning from sounding. The pilot indicated that he became distracted during the approach due to the turbulence and the water on the runway, and as a result, he neglected to complete the prelanding checklist.