What happened
On 7 August 2007, a Cessna 210 Centurian, registration N761JU, was conducting a private flight from Wellsbourne to Wycombe Air Park. During the approach to Runway 35, the pilot performed the standard landing checks. The pilot believed the undercarriage had been selected to the down position, noting that the green lights indicating the gear was down and locked appeared illuminated during the final approach.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft struck the ground with the undercarriage still in the retracted position. The impact caused damage to the propeller and engine, and potentially to the fuselage. The pilot and the single passenger were able to exit the aircraft through the standard exits and sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the undercarriage remained up despite the pilot's belief that it was deployed. Post-accident inspections revealed that the undercarriage selector was indeed in the UP position.
Investigators examined the undercarriage aural warning system to determine if a malfunction had prevented the pilot from being alerted to the gear status. The examination confirmed that the aural warning system was fully serviceable. The pilot also noted that he had tested this system during his pre-flight checks and had not recalled any malfunctions.