What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1946 Globe acft landed gear up, skidded down the rwy burned, and was destroyed by fire, Lancaster, TX. (.4)following a series of touch and go landings, the airplane was destroyed following an inadvertent gear up landing. The airplane slid approximately 450 feet before coming to a stop. A post impact fire erupted in the area of the fuel gascolator. The gear was found secured in the up and locked position. A review of maintenance records, not destroyed by the fire, did not reveal any uncorrected maintenance discrepancies with the gear system. It was a practice of the pilot to leave the landing gear extended and retract the flaps after becoming airborne on the touch and go landings. The pilot did not recall touching the gear handle after extending the gear on the first landing. (-23) aircraft was observed doing touch and go's with gear down. No witnesses were found that saw the last landing. This inspector saw the aircraft after it came to rest when the fire started. I observed the PIC evacuate the aircraft. About 3 minutes later, I arrived with 2 hand held fire exting uishers. After using the first one, the flames went out enough for me to see that the wing tanks had not ignited yet. I then decided that discretion was the better part of valor and did a strategic withdrawal. The flames consumed the center section of the aircraft before the fire department arrived to put it out. The landing gear was found locked in the up position.
As the FAA filed it
1946 GLOBE ACFT LANDED GEAR UP, SKIDDED DOWN THE RWY BURNED, AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, LANCASTER, TX. (.4)FOLLOWING A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING AN INADVERTENT GEAR UP LANDING. THE AIRPLANE SLID APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. A POST IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED IN THE AREA OF THE FUEL GASCOLATOR. THE GEAR WAS FOUND SECURED IN THE UP AND LOCKED POSITION. A REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS, NOT DESTROYED BY THE FIRE, DID NOT REVEAL ANY UNCORRECTED MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES WITH THE GEAR SYSTEM. IT WAS A PRACTICE OF THE PILOT TO LEAVE THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED AND RETRACT THE FLAPS AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE ON THE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL TOUCHING THE GEAR HANDLE AFTER EXTENDING THE GEAR ON THE FIRST LANDING. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED DOING TOUCH AND GO'S WITH GEAR DOWN. NO WITNESSES WERE FOUND THAT SAW THE LAST LANDING. THIS INSPECTOR SAW THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CAME TO REST WHEN THE FIRE STARTED. I OBSERVED THE PIC EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT. ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER, I ARRIVED WITH 2 HAND HELD FIRE EXTING UISHERS. AFTER USING THE FIRST ONE, THE FLAMES WENT OUT ENOUGH FOR ME TO SEE THAT THE WING TANKS HAD NOT IGNITED YET. I THEN DECIDED THAT DISCRETION WAS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR AND DID A STRATEGIC WITHDRAWAL. THE FLAMES CONSUMED THE CENTER SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO PUT IT OUT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND LOCKED IN THE UP POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.