What happened
The aircraft was on final approach for landing when the pilot experienced a significant distraction. An animal located near the runway captured the pilot's attention at a critical phase of flight. This distraction caused the pilot to fail to lower the landing gear prior to touchdown.
The pilot did not hear the gear-up warning horn until after the airplane had already touched down on the runway. Upon inspection, the pilot noted no mechanical problems with the operation of the landing gear system, indicating that the failure was due to human error rather than equipment malfunction.
The investigation
Investigation revealed that the landing gear mechanism functioned correctly. The primary issue was the pilot's inability to complete the pre-landing checklist due to external distraction. The warning horn, which is designed to alert pilots to a gear-up condition, was not perceived in time to prevent the incident.
Findings
The critical factor in this accident was distraction by an animal near the runway environment. This led directly to failure to lower landing gear. The pilot's attention was diverted at a crucial moment, preventing the completion of essential safety checks before contact with the ground.