Incident Overview
A private pilot was receiving commercial instruction in an airplane equipped with retractable landing gear during a cross-country flight to an unfamiliar airport. While turning from the downwind leg to the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot did not perform the landing gear extension checklist, and the flight instructor did not verify that the landing gear were extended. The airplane subsequently touched down on the runway with the landing gear retracted.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the external longerons on the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, the flight was being conducted under commercial instruction. He noted that the checklist was not performed during the turn from downwind to base leg, and the instructor failed to confirm the landing gear position. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.