Accident Overview
An accident occurred when a pilot landed an airplane without extending the landing gear at a busy non-towered airport. The airport was active with two military helicopters performing practice approaches ahead of the accident airplane, and two additional aircraft were in the traffic pattern. The pilot reported that he inadvertently forgot to lower the landing gear, partly attributing this to strong gusting headwinds encountered on final approach. His attention was directed toward achieving a smooth touchdown. He suddenly observed the propeller stop as the airplane made contact with the runway surface.
Pilot Account
After the airplane came to a stop, the pilot removed his electronic noise canceling headphones. He then heard the landing gear warning horn, which was not integrated into the audio interphone system. The pilot had not previously heard the warning due to the headphone design and his focus on landing.
Damage Assessment
The fuselage structure sustained substantial damage as a result of the propeller striking the runway during the landing without gear extension. No other damage to the aircraft or injuries were reported in the source.