What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot rented aircraft from a local fixed base operator and intended on leaving on a night time, long cross country flight. A VFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft had just been returned to service after minor maintenance to service the nose strut. The pilot believed that it would be a good idea to perform one local pattern orbit and make a touch and go landing before starting the long country flight. During the short flight, the pilot stated that he became distracted by ATC instructions to extend his downwind leg due to other traffic in the pattern and the middle marker beacon cockpit lights and aural warning. He elected to use the localizer as an additional navaid during his approach to landing. The pilot landed the aircraft with the landing gear in the retracted position. The propeller was damaged along with minor sheet metal scraping on the lower fuselage. The pilot (sole occupant of the aircraft) was not injured as a result. The pilot had little exposure to a retractable type landing gear (complex) aircraft during night operations. This incident is not related to any NMAC or pilot deviation reported by ATC.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT RENTED AIRCRAFT FROM A LOCAL FIXED BASE OPERATOR AND INTENDED ON LEAVING ON A NIGHT TIME, LONG CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER MINOR MAINTENANCE TO SERVICE THE NOSE STRUT. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO PERFORM ONE LOCAL PATTERN ORBIT AND MAKE A TOUCH AND GO LANDING BEFORE STARTING THE LONG COUNTRY FLIGHT. DURING THE SHORT FLIGHT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BECAME DISTRACTED BY ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND LEG DUE TO OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE PATTERN AND THE MIDDLE MARKER BEACON COCKPIT LIGHTS AND AURAL WARNING. HE ELECTED TO USE THE LOCALIZER AS AN ADDITIONAL NAVAID DURING HIS APPROACH TO LANDING. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED ALONG WITH MINOR SHEET METAL SCRAPING ON THE LOWER FUSELAGE. THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT) WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT. THE PILOT HAD LITTLE EXPOSURE TO A RETRACTABLE TYPE LANDING GEAR (COMPLEX) AIRCRAFT DURING NIGHT OPERATIONS. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION REPORTED BY ATC.
Other reports on N177TM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.