Incident Summary
The pilot of a turboprop airplane, the sole occupant, was conducting a personal business flight. While approaching a non-towered airport, the pilot heard a twin-engine aircraft also inbound. Radio congestion from two other nearby non-towered airports prevented clear communication between the two pilots to coordinate their arrivals. Distracted by the situation, the turboprop pilot forgot to extend the landing gear and did not realize the omission until touchdown.
Sequence of Events
When the turboprop was about 10 miles south-southeast of the destination airport, the pilot heard the twin-engine pilot announce an approach from the north. Winds favored landing on runway 32, so the turboprop pilot planned a straight-in approach. On a 5-mile final for runway 32, the twin pilot announced being on a left base leg for runway 14. At about a 2-mile final, the turboprop pilot observed the twin aircraft on the traffic display, still about 6 miles from the airport. The turboprop pilot continued the straight-in approach based on that information.
Continuous radio transmissions from aircraft at two other non-towered airports in the vicinity prevented effective communication between the two pilots. Due to the distractions from the other airplane and the radio difficulties, the turboprop pilot inadvertently failed to extend the landing gear.
Post-Accident Findings
The airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted, coming to rest upright and intact about 50 feet off the side of the runway. The pilot was uninjured. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the aircraft and found substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
The pilot reported having traveled internationally at least twice in the preceding weeks and experiencing some "mental fatigue." It was not determined whether or when the twin-engine aircraft landed at the same airport.