Accident Overview
On 24 June 2012 at 1420 UTC, a privately operated Europa aircraft (registration G-OJHL) sustained damage during a gear-up landing at Cumbernauld Airport, North Lanarkshire. The aircraft was powered by a single Rotax 912-UL piston engine and had been manufactured in 1999.
Flight Details
The pilot, aged 69, held a National Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 527 flying hours, of which 55 were on the Europa type. In the preceding 90 days, he had logged 6 hours, with 1 hour in the last 28 days. The aircraft carried one passenger; neither occupant was injured.
Circumstances
The pilot was conducting touch-and-go circuits in benign weather using Runway 26. He elected to perform a practice forced landing (PFL) followed by a go-around. After the go-around, he flew a shortened circuit but arrived high on final approach. Contrary to his usual procedure, the pilot did not lower the mono wheel landing gear and flaps (operated by a single control) at the end of the shortened downwind leg. He also failed to verify the gear position at the start of his final approach because he was sideslipping to reduce height.
Damage
The gear-up landing distorted the propeller, cowling, and wheel tunnel. No injuries resulted from the incident.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot noted that the change in pitch attitude normally associated with flap extension might have been missed due to the sideslip maneuver. He also cited the poor location of the landing gear warning light and the fact that he was wearing an active noise reduction headset, which prevented him from hearing the aural warning in the cockpit. The pilot planned to modify the aural warning to ensure it could be heard through the headset.