A GA PVT PLT LANDS HIS ACFT WITH THE GEAR UP.

Date: 1999-04 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear · Phase: landing

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-gear-up-landing

Synopsis

A GA PVT PLT LANDS HIS ACFT WITH THE GEAR UP.

Narrative

I (PLT) FAILED TO LOWER LNDG GEAR AND PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH THE GEAR UP. THIS EVENT OCCURRED AFTER THE SECOND LEG OF A SHORT DURATION FLT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO DETERMINE AND EVALUATE 2 MINOR SQUAWKS. TKOF; FLT; AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE RETURN LEG WAS THE SAME. APCHING 55J FOR LNDG; I DETERMINED THE ACTIVE RWY FROM BLIND BROADCASTS FROM A LEAR JET PREPARING TO DEPART RWY 13. ON DOWNWIND AND BASE; I OBSERVED THE LEAR'S DEP. I DID A MENTAL LNDG CHKLIST. I DID NOT USE THE PHYSICAL CHKLISTS AVAILABLE TO ME IN THE ACFT. I KNOW OF NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I EITHER SKIPPED THE LNDG GEAR ITEM ON MY CHKLIST; OR IF I DID CHK; I DID NOT PROCEED TO LOWER THE GEAR AND CONFIRM IT. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: SOUND OF AIRFRAME IMPACTING RWY. THE SHORT DURATION FLT AND BEAUTIFUL WX MAY HAVE MADE MY ATTITUDE MORE CASUAL THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THE BEAUTIFUL LOW SUN IN THE W AND LEAR JET DEPARTING E OUT OVER THE OCEAN MAY HAVE INTERRUPTED OR DISTR ME FROM MY MENTAL CHKLIST. I HAVE THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR. I WILL ALWAYS USE PHYSICAL CHKLISTS IN THE FUTURE. I WILL ALWAYS TRIPLE-CHK GEAR DOWN. I BECAME MORE INVOLVED IN ENJOYING THE VIEW THAN ATTENDING TO BUSINESS AT HAND. IN MY OPINION; THE CRITICAL JUDGEMENT ERROR WAS RELIANCE ON MEMORY AND INSTINCT. I MADE A DECISION NOT TO USE THE LAMINATED CHKLIST LAYING IN MY LAP. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: A SHORT DURATION FLT TO EVALUATE THE STATUS OF EFFORTS TO ADJUST MINOR MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES; RESULTING IN A CASUAL ATTITUDE.

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