Incident Overview
A retractable landing gear-equipped airplane sustained substantial damage during a gear-up landing on a runway. The flight was an instructional training flight conducted by the pilot in command (PIC), who occupied the left seat with a new second in command (SIC). The crew had completed two previous legs earlier.
Approach and Landing
During the approach, the PIC complied with an airport control tower request to maintain higher speed. The crew discussed events of the prior flights. On short final, the PIC called for full flaps and reduced the throttle to flight idle. He stated there was no indication that the landing gear was not extended, as he did not hear the landing gear warning horn; however, he was wearing a noise-cancelling headset. The landing gear position lights were not visible because the SIC's knee obstructed the PIC's view of the lights.
After the flare, the PIC heard the propellers strike the runway. He decided not to initiate a go-around due to unknown propeller damage. The airplane touched down and slid to a stop on the runway.
Cockpit Communication and Checklist
Both the PIC and SIC were wearing noise-cancelling headsets. The landing gear warning horn produces an aural tone in the cockpit that is not configured to be heard through the crew headsets. Neither pilot could recall who read the airplane flight manual (AFM) before-landing checklist.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA Aviation Safety Inspector examined the wreckage. During recovery, the nose landing gear was extended using the normal process, but due to significant damage to the main gear doors, the main landing gear could not be extended hydraulically or manually. An operational check of the landing gear warning horn was not performed because the wreckage was unsafe to enter after removal from the runway.
Pilot Statements
The PIC reported he was conducting the instructional flight for his new SIC. The SIC stated the flight was in VFR conditions and that the airspace was busy. He applied full flaps during the approach but the crew failed to extend the landing gear. He also did not hear the warning horn due to wearing a noise-cancelling headset.