Incident Overview
A commercial single-engine land checkride flight ended with the airplane landing on the runway without the landing gear extended, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. The flight was conducted with a designated pilot examiner.
Flight Sequence
According to the pilot, during the straight-in landing approach, the pilot selected full flaps and reduced the engine power to idle to descend. The pilot did not use the before landing checklist and did not extend the landing gear. Over the runway threshold, the pilot verified the throttle was at idle and began to flare the airplane. The designated pilot examiner did not verify that the landing gear was extended prior to landing.
Post-Accident Observations
Both pilots reported that they did not hear the landing gear warning horn during the approach. A mechanic noted that during recovery of the airplane, when the battery switch was turned on, the landing gear warning horn sounded. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Comments
The pilot stated that the before landing checklist was not completed and that the accident could have been prevented if it had been completed.