PVT PLT OF A BEECH 33 FORGOT TO PUT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN AFTER GOING AROUND FOR SEQUENCING IN AN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN.

Narrative

PLT OBTAINED IFR FLT PLAN FOR TRIP FROM SCHOLES FIELD IN GALVESTON TO HOUSTON SOUTHWEST ARPT (AXH) IN ARCOLA. PLT WAS CLRED AND DEPARTED SCHOLES FIELD ENRTE TO AXH FLYING AT 3000 FT IN MOSTLY IFR CONDITIONS. HOUSTON APCH PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS ON A RTE AROUND THE S OF AXH TO ITS W SIDE TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 9 AT 3000 FT. APPROX 10-15 MI W OF AXH; ATC CLRED SMA FOR THE APCH (MAINTAIN 2100 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED; RADAR SVC TERMINATED; SWITCH TO ADVISORY FREQ). PLT BROADCASTED HIS POS AND INTENTIONS; AND LEARNED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL VFR ACFT ALREADY IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 9. PLT INITIATED A DSCNT AT THE FAF BY LOWERING THE LNDG GEAR. VISUAL INDICATION OF GEAR DOWN WAS OBSERVED FROM THE 3 GREEN INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE ACFT PANEL. THE PLANE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS BTWN 1500-2000 FT. AS PLT APCHED AXH; ONE OF THE VFR ACFT WAS ALREADY ON BASE FOR RWY 9. PLT INITIALLY INTENDED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN TO PROVIDE SPACING; BUT ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON DOWNWIND LEG; SO ELECTED INSTEAD TO BREAK OFF THE APCH TO THE S AND RETURN TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN; BROADCASTING INTENTIONS. ON FINAL; WITHIN 75 FT OF THE GND; A LNDG FLARE WAS PERFORMED AND THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GND WITH LNDG GEAR STILL RETRACTED. (THERE WAS NO AURAL ALARM.) PLT AND PAX IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE ACFT.