TWIN COMANCHE NEARLY PERFECT APCH MARRED BY PESKY GEAR UP LNDG AT VKX.

Date: 1999-11 · Aircraft: Piper Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: landing

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|ground-event-encounter-gear-up-landing

Synopsis

TWIN COMANCHE NEARLY PERFECT APCH MARRED BY PESKY GEAR UP LNDG AT VKX.

Narrative

I WAS COMPLETING THE THIRD LNDG OF A NIGHT RECURRENCY FLT. ON DOWNWIND; I LOWERED THE FIRST 10 DEGS OF FLAPS AND PLACED THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO THE GEAR DOWN POS. THE ACFT WAS A PA30-60 TWIN COMANCHE. BECAUSE I WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH IN ALT; I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND DSNDED. THE COCKPIT CHK DID NOT DRAW ANY ATTN TO ANY ABNORMALITIES. THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND WHEN I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE. ON BASE LEG; I LOWERED ANOTHER 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. TURNING FINAL; I LOWERED THE FINAL FLAPS. PWR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE ON EACH LEG. AFTER REDUCING PWR TO IDLE ON DOWNWIND TO DSND; I ADDED PWR AFTER ACHIEVING PATTERN ALT TO MAINTAIN 120 MPH. PWR WAS REDUCED SLIGHTLY ON BASE TO MAINTAIN 110 MPH AND ON FINAL PWR WAS REDUCED TO ABOUT 15 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ON FINAL; I ALSO DID A FINAL GUMPS CHK; ADJUSTING PROPS AND MIXTURE TO FULL FORWARD; CHKING FUEL PUMPS ON AND MAINS SELECTED. I DO NOT RECALL ANY ABNORMALITY IN GEAR POS. I DID LOOK OUT AT THE MIRROR ON THE L NACELLE BUT IT WAS TOO DARK TO SEE ANYTHING -- A FLASHLIGHT SHINING ON IT DID NOT HELP. ON SHORT FINAL; WITH APCH SPD AND GLIDE PATH QUITE NORMAL; I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND FLARED OVER THE RWY. WHILE WAITING TO SETTLE ON THE GEAR; I HEARD THE SCRAPING SOUND OF THE ACFT SKIDDING ON THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY REDUCED ALL LEVERS TO THE REAR POS ON THE CTL POD. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE CTRLINE. AFTER A BRIEF HESITATION; I TURNED ALL SWITCHES OFF AND EXITED THE ACFT. LESSONS LEARNED: THE DIMMER OF THE SINGLE GEAR DOWN LIGHT CAN EASILY BE MISINTERPED IN THE REDUCED LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE COCKPIT. TRIPLECHK EVERYTHING!

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