What happened
During the final stages of an approach, the pilot of the aircraft was alerted to a radio transmission from a helicopter operating on the same common frequency. While performing the before-landing checklist, the pilot attempted to visually locate the helicopter mentioned in the transmission. As the aircraft entered the landing flare, the pilot observed red warning lights on the instrument panel, indicating that the landing gear had not been deployed.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, the pilot moved the landing gear handle to the down position just before the wheels were meant to contact the runway. Despite this late action, the aircraft touched down on the runway surface with the landing gear in the retracted position. The landing itself was described as smooth, and there were no reported mechanical failures or engine issues prior to the impact.
Findings
Investigation into the incident revealed that the pilot error was driven by a loss of situational awareness. The pilot failed to complete the necessary verification of the gear extension because of the distraction caused by the helicopter's radio transmission during the base leg of the traffic pattern.