A PA31 NAVAJO ATX PLT EXPERIENCES MULTIPLE PROP STRIKES WHEN THE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED FOR LNDG AT W2K; AK. PLT MADE A SUCCESSFUL GAR FOR A FOLLOW UP LNDG.

Narrative

A 30 MIN VFR FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED TO A LCL UNCTLED ARPT. WHILE APCHING THE ARPT; COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH A PRECEDING LNDG ACFT REGARDING THE PLT CTLED RWY LIGHTING FREQ CHANGE THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE 2 DAYS PRIOR AND THE RWY BEING USED AND THE LNDG SEQUENCE. THE ACFT IN FRONT OFFERED TO HOLD CLR ON THE GND WHILE I COMPLETED MY LNDG. WHEN I REACHED TOUCHDOWN HT; I SENSED THE LNDG GEAR WAS NOT TAKING THE ACFT'S WT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY UNCHARACTERISTIC NOISE (BLADE STRIKE) AND A CONFIRMATION OF 3 GREEN LIGHTS NOT SHOWING. A GAR WAS IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED AND LNDG MADE WITHOUT FURTHER PROB. AUDIBLE GEAR UNSAFE HORN WAS NOT HEARD; AND A HIGHER THROTTLE THRESHOLD SETTING WOULD HAVE ASSISTED OR; IF THERE WAS ADDITIONAL LINK TO THE FLAP SETTING. LOW PROMINENCE OF PLACEMENT OF LNDG GEAR LIGHTS ON INST PANEL (1 LIGHT ALWAYS OBSCURED BY GEAR HANDLE) WAS A FACTOR IN RECOGNITION OF PROB. ALTHOUGH HAVING CALLED CLR; THE TIME OF DAY AND OVERCAST SKY TOOK EXTRA TIME IN IDENTING THE OTHER ACFT BEING CLR OF THE RWY.