Incident Overview
During a flight, the pilot found that the landing gear selector handle had become detached. Using the detached handle, they moved the lever to retract and extend the landing gear to verify its functionality before landing. After determining no issues, the pilot removed the handle to prevent it from falling and becoming inaccessible in flight, in case further gear operation was needed.
The pilot believed that three green indicator lights confirmed the landing gear was down. However, they were unaware that with the stop pin missing, the landing gear would self-retract once the handle was released. Consequently, the pilot did not realize the gear had retracted prior to landing.
Interruptions and Distractions
The approach and landing phase was marked by several interruptions and distractions. These included waiting for another aircraft to vacate the runway, which required altering the circuit to maintain separation; issues with the GPS navigation system; the detached landing gear handle; large birds present on the final approach path; and crosswind conditions during the landing. The combination of these abnormal conditions and distractions likely contributed to the pilot flaring the aircraft for landing without being aware that the landing gear was in the retracted position.