Incident Details
A student pilot reported that after an uneventful flight, while entering the airport traffic pattern on the downwind leg, another pilot notified him of an airplane operating within the traffic pattern with no radio. The student pilot established visual contact with one airplane but did not see the airplane without a radio until reaching the mid-field point on downwind.
Throughout the approach to landing, the student pilot maintained visual contact with the non-communicating airplane until it would no longer be a factor. He subsequently landed the airplane with the landing gear in the retracted position, resulting in structural damage to the fuselage.
Pilot's Account
The student pilot stated that his attention was diverted between maintaining airspeed and a stable approach to the runway while keeping visual contact with the airplane that was not in radio contact. He added that he failed to perform his before-landing checklist as he normally does at the mid-field point on downwind and each turn in the traffic pattern. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.