GA SMA GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative

THE INCIDENT INVOLVED AN SMA. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO MAINTAIN PROFICIENCY AND WAS RESTR TO THE TFC PATTERN FOR TKOF AND LNDGS. THIS ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC GEAR EXTENSION SYS WHICH WILL LOWER THE GEAR OR PREVENT ITS RETRACTION IF THE AIRSPD IS BELOW APPROX 100 KTS. IT WAS PLACED IN OVERRIDE AND DEACTIVATED. THE GEAR DOWN LIGHTS HAVE A RHEOSTAT THAT IS WIRED TO THE NAV/INSTRUMENT LIGHTS. IF THE ACFT IS CONFIGURED FOR NIGHT FLT; THE INTENSITY OF THE GEAR LIGHTS ARE GREATLY REDUCED. THE ACFT HAD BEEN CONFIGURED EARLY FOR NIGHT OPS. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A GEAR UNSAFE WARNING HORN AND A RED LIGHT ON THE GLARESHIELD; HOWEVER THERE IS NO RECOMMENDED TEST PROC. ON THE FIFTH AND LAST LNDG IN THE SERIES; THE ACFT WAS REQUIRED TO SLOW TO LOWER THAN NORMAL DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC IN THE PATTERN. A SERIES OF NON STANDARD PROCS BY OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN DISTRACTED ATTN AWAY FROM THE NORMAL LNDG CHKLIST PROCS AND WE DIRECTED IT TOWARDS TFC AVOIDANCE. AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND AND AN IRREGULAR PATTERN LED TO A DISRUPTED AND ACCELERATED CHKLIST. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THE GEAR WAS PLACED DOWN AT NORMAL ABEAM T/D POINT. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATIONS WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED (USED IN PLACE OF GEAR DOWN LIGHTS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT EASILY READABLE BECAUSE OF DIMMED POS). THE RESULT WAS A VERY NICE 'GEAR UP LNDG.' AN INQUIRY INTO WHY THERE WERE NO WARNINGS REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE NEEDED TO BE PULLED HARD AGAINST THE IDLE STOP TO ACTIVATE THE HORN AND THE RED WARNING ON THE GLARESHIELD HAD VIBRATED LOOSE FROM ITS ELECTRICAL CONTACTS. IN SUMMARY; THERE WERE 2 QUALIFIED PLTS ON BOARD THIS ACFT; AND BOTH WERE LULLED AWAY FROM USING STANDARD PROCS. PLTS CANNOT AFFORD TO BE COMPLACENT IN THEIR ASSUMPTION--IT CAN BE A SUBTLE KILLER.