Incident Overview
On February 8, 2011, about 1450 central standard time, a Cessna 210N (registration N92MP) sustained minor damage during a gear-up landing at Columbia Regional Airport (COU), near Columbia, Missouri. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not on file for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public use flight. The flight departed about 1440 from the Jefferson City Memorial Airport (JEF), near Jefferson City, Missouri, and was destined for COU.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, about ten miles south of COU, he made an initial position call to the air traffic control tower. The tower advised that there was another Cessna airplane with a similar call sign approaching COU from the west. The tower directed the other Cessna to report a two-mile left base and advised the pilot that he was second to land, following the Cessna from the west, and to report a two-mile straight-in final. The pilot did not have the other Cessna in sight and maneuvered his airplane to the left to give the other airplane room to set up for its final approach. The pilot located the other Cessna on final when the other pilot made a radio report. The tower made an advisory call when the incident airplane was approximately two miles out, informing the other Cessna (which had landed and was taxiing) to yield to another taxiing aircraft. The pilot looked for both taxiing airplanes to maintain situational awareness.
As the pilot maneuvered the airplane to touchdown, he noticed the airplane was settling lower to the ground than normal. He realized he had not lowered the landing gear and increased power to full throttle when he heard the sound of the airplane’s fuselage rubbing the ground. The airplane became airborne, the pilot lowered the landing gear, and subsequently landed on the landing gear. The pilot reported that he did not use the landing checklist and that the landing gear warning horn did not sound during the landing.
Post-incident Maintenance Check
An airframe and powerplant mechanic reported that the incident airplane’s landing gear warning horn was tested on March 16, 2011, during the airplane’s ferry flight from COU to JEF. The horn was tested five times with activation occurring at indicated manifold pressure gauge readings ranging from 9.5 to 14 inches of mercury. Retarding the throttle at a slower speed resulted in a lower manifold pressure reading; retarding at a faster speed resulted in a higher reading. According to the mechanic, the throttle cable had some play, which may have contributed to the wide range of readings. The landing gear functioned normally.