Incident Overview
A pilot reported that while approaching the destination airport near dusk, he intended to land before darkness set in. However, he forgot to extend the landing gear, and the aircraft touched down with the gear retracted. The landing caused substantial damage to the fuselage skin, stringers, and wing attach fittings.
Warning System
The aircraft was equipped with a landing gear configuration warning, which activated during the landing sequence. The pilot stated that he mistook this warning for a different indicator, failing to recognize the need to lower the gear.
Distraction and Checklist Use
The pilot further stated that he normally used a pre-landing checklist but was distracted by deteriorating weather conditions and did not utilize it. He attributed the oversight to this distraction.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported a total of 3,079 hours of flight experience, including 50 hours in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.