What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 09-14-99 at 2030 CDT, Mooney-20-B, N74716, owned and opered by tod amble landed gear-up on runway 31 at Devils Lake, ND airport while returning from a local flight. The PIC a private pilot appropriately rated was the sole occupant of the aircraft and did not report any injuries. The aircraft sustained minor damage consisting of propeller tips curled aft to approximately 5 inches, belly skins and nose gear door received scraping damage. The pilot, when interviewed, indicated the gear collapsed upon landing; however, no impact damage was found during an inspection, indicating the gear was retracted at touchdown. The lack of damage to wings, nose cowling, landing gear doors and the position of damagte signatures on the fuselage support the profile of gear-up landings. A mechanic interview indicated the landing gear operation on jacks was normal except he encountered some difficulty engaging the handle in the down position.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 09-14-99 AT 2030 CDT, MOONEY-20-B, N74716, OWNED AND OPERED BY TOD AMBLE LANDED GEAR-UP ON RUNWAY 31 AT DEVILS LAKE, ND AIRPORT WHILE RETURNING FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PIC A PRIVATE PILOT APPROPRIATELY RATED WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT REPORT ANY INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE CONSISTING OF PROPELLER TIPS CURLED AFT TO APPROXIMATELY 5 INCHES, BELLY SKINS AND NOSE GEAR DOOR RECEIVED SCRAPING DAMAGE. THE PILOT, WHEN INTERVIEWED, INDICATED THE GEAR COLLAPSED UPON LANDING; HOWEVER, NO IMPACT DAMAGE WAS FOUND DURING AN INSPECTION, INDICATING THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AT TOUCHDOWN. THE LACK OF DAMAGE TO WINGS, NOSE COWLING, LANDING GEAR DOORS AND THE POSITION OF DAMAGTE SIGNATURES ON THE FUSELAGE SUPPORT THE PROFILE OF GEAR-UP LANDINGS. A MECHANIC INTERVIEW INDICATED THE LANDING GEAR OPERATION ON JACKS WAS NORMAL EXCEPT HE ENCOUNTERED SOME DIFFICULTY ENGAGING THE HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION.