Pilot Examiner reported a gear up landing occurred during a flight examination with an applicant; resulting in minor aircraft damage.

Date: 2024-06 · Aircraft: PA-44 Seminole/Turbo Seminole · Phase: landing

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-event-encounter-gear-up-landing

Synopsis

Pilot Examiner reported a gear up landing occurred during a flight examination with an applicant; resulting in minor aircraft damage.

Narrative

While on an FAA examination acting as Designated Pilot Examiner administering a CFI Instrument examination landed gear up. Potential system malfunction of gear warning system contributed. While the applicant was flying his last Localizer approach to a landing at the final approach fix late in the training profile the applicant simulated an engine failure per the FAA PTS and as planned. The applicant also the PIC for the flight descended late but went to the step-down altitude and final MDA. At the visual descent point I as the examiner playing a student role to land too the aircraft to make a normal landing for the applicant to critique. Normal landing centerline but landed an stopped with the gear up. minor damage to the aircraft. No gear warning system was sounded and after landing the gear handle was confirmed down. Potentially the gear could have been missed in the process of simulating the engine out late at the final approach. And while both I as examiner and PIC thought we checked the gear. We did put the flaps to 25 which should have had a warning system of no gear if it wasn't down and at least one throttle was at a low power setting which it was. Now regardless of a system malfunction the Applicant PIC an me as the evaluator still should have confirmed gear down or not in the mirror and MFD display which neither of us can recall yes or no. Either way we should have. Second what contributed was a rushed approach and simulation of engine out to a localizer approach with a step-down altitude. From an examiner perspective the lesson learned was that this applicant was a very good Instructor who up until that point flew very well and instructed well above average. So potentially I as the examiner didn't confirm as I should have; again even if a malfunction.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.