What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Instructor and student were doing scheduled night traffic pattern operations. After completing 15 touch and go landings on rwy 9R, student and instructor agreed upon and requested a runway change to a full-stop landing on rwy 36. The landing gear had already been lowered prior to requesting the runway change, and when the tower gave them new instructions to maneuver in the pattern for rwy 36, the instructor elected to raise the landing gear in order to eliminate drag and to help to maintain altitude for the now-necessary extension of the traffic pattern. The sector of the airport in which the approach to rwy 36 was made was in an area of darkness and little ground lighting for reference and depth perception. The instructor estimates that the line-up to the final approach was made at 2-3 miles from the end of the runway. Since they did not have the runway threshold in sight at this point, the decision was made to fly the approach with flaps up at 100 knots IAS, and to delay descent until glide path references were obtained. Descent was commenced while maintaining the airspeed of 100 KTS while both pilots were still trying to get the runway threshold in sight. When the runway numbers and 1000-FT markers
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE DOING SCHEDULED NIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS. AFTER COMPLETING 15 TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON RWY 9R, STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR AGREED UPON AND REQUESTED A RUNWAY CHANGE TO A FULL-STOP LANDING ON RWY 36. THE LANDING GEAR HAD ALREADY BEEN LOWERED PRIOR TO REQUESTING THE RUNWAY CHANGE, AND WHEN THE TOWER GAVE THEM NEW INSTRUCTIONS TO MANEUVER IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 36, THE INSTRUCTOR ELECTED TO RAISE THE LANDING GEAR IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE DRAG AND TO HELP TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE FOR THE NOW-NECESSARY EXTENSION OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE SECTOR OF THE AIRPORT IN WHICH THE APPROACH TO RWY 36 WAS MADE WAS IN AN AREA OF DARKNESS AND LITTLE GROUND LIGHTING FOR REFERENCE AND DEPTH PERCEPTION. THE INSTRUCTOR ESTIMATES THAT THE LINE-UP TO THE FINAL APPROACH WAS MADE AT 2-3 MILES FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD IN SIGHT AT THIS POINT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY THE APPROACH WITH FLAPS UP AT 100 KNOTS IAS, AND TO DELAY DESCENT UNTIL GLIDE PATH REFERENCES WERE OBTAINED. DESCENT WAS COMMENCED WHILE MAINTAINING THE AIRSPEED OF 100 KTS WHILE BOTH PILOTS WERE STILL TRYING TO GET THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD IN SIGHT. WHEN THE RUNWAY NUMBERS AND 1000-FT MARKERS