What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 27, 2009, this office investigated an unintentional gear up landing at hto airport, that occurred the day prior at approximately 1430 local time. The pilot was john franklin cowell, holder of pilot certificate 150364352. He was piloting an experimental Lancair 4P N166JC. He was flying in the area for pleasure, and was navigating to the runway in VMC using the gps/rnav guidance. At the final approach fix, he found himself too fast to lower the gear, so he extended the speed brakes and the approach flaps. He said he noted that he was running about two inches less of manifold pressure on the final approach, but thought nothing further of it. As he was in the flare, he said he heard the prop "ticking" as it began to strike the runway. He then stated that the aircraft touched down, and "a second later and I was stopped." The pilot stated he thought the max flap speed was 160 (actual 174), but uses 140 to reduce wear and strain on the system. He also limits his gear extension speed to 120, as the retractable step will not fully extend at higher airspeeds. The POH lists the maximum gear extension speed at 150. Mr. Cowell was very forthcoming in his error and the information provided to this office. He had emailed this office with a detailed account of the incident, and when asked to sign it, he accepted. The aircraft was mildly damaged. The propeller blades were bent and scraped, but lacked compound damage. The resin coat of the belly was ground to the matting and honeycomb in several places, and all antennas were either highly damaged or destroyed. There was additional damage to the pilot tube on the left wing, the fuel drain on the right wing, and the inside portions of the flaps. It appeared that the touchdown was soft, and in a wings level position. He landed on runway 28, and at 1855Z, the winds were 270 at 15. According to Mr. Cowell, the winds were reported as 270 at 10 at the time of the incident. Inspection of the runway reveled that propeller began striking the runway approximately 900 feet past the threshold, and the aircraft came to rest approximately 1300 feet later. Throughout this event, the center of the aircraft appears to have been within three feet of the runway centerline at all times. A check of the records for Mr. Cowell reveled no abnormalities, and a check of the records for N166JC reveled no abnormalities. A check of the weight and balance indicates the CG would have been between 89.1 and 90.0 inches, depending on the fuel loading. These values are well within the limits for the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 27, 2009, THIS OFFICE INVESTIGATED AN UNINTENTIONAL GEAR UP LANDING AT HTO AIRPORT, THAT OCCURRED THE DAY PRIOR AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT WAS JOHN FRANKLIN COWELL, HOLDER OF PILOT CERTIFICATE 150364352. HE WAS PILOTING AN EXPERIMENTAL LANCAIR 4P N166JC. HE WAS FLYING IN THE AREA FOR PLEASURE, AND WAS NAVIGATING TO THE RUNWAY IN VMC USING THE GPS/RNAV GUIDANCE. AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX, HE FOUND HIMSELF TOO FAST TO LOWER THE GEAR, SO HE EXTENDED THE SPEED BRAKES AND THE APPROACH FLAPS. HE SAID HE NOTED THAT HE WAS RUNNING ABOUT TWO INCHES LESS OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE ON THE FINAL APPROACH, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING FURTHER OF IT. AS HE WAS IN THE FLARE, HE SAID HE HEARD THE PROP "TICKING" AS IT BEGAN TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY. HE THEN STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, AND "A SECOND LATER AND I WAS STOPPED." THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT THE MAX FLAP SPEED WAS 160 (ACTUAL 174), BUT USES 140 TO REDUCE WEAR AND STRAIN ON THE SYSTEM. HE ALSO LIMITS HIS GEAR EXTENSION SPEED TO 120, AS THE RETRACTABLE STEP WILL NOT FULLY EXTEND AT HIGHER AIRSPEEDS. THE POH LISTS THE MAXIMUM GEAR EXTENSION SPEED AT 150. MR. COWELL WAS VERY FORTHCOMING IN HIS ERROR AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THIS OFFICE. HE HAD EMAILED THIS OFFICE WITH A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT, AND WHEN ASKED TO SIGN IT, HE ACCEPTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MILDLY DAMAGED. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AND SCRAPED, BUT LACKED COMPOUND DAMAGE. THE RESIN COAT OF THE BELLY WAS GROUND TO THE MATTING AND HONEYCOMB IN SEVERAL PLACES, AND ALL ANTENNAS WERE EITHER HIGHLY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE PILOT TUBE ON THE LEFT WING, THE FUEL DRAIN ON THE RIGHT WING, AND THE INSIDE PORTIONS OF THE FLAPS. IT APPEARED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN WAS SOFT, AND IN A WINGS LEVEL POSITION. HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 28, AND AT 1855Z, THE WINDS WERE 270 AT 15. ACCORDING TO MR. COWELL, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AS 270 AT 10 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY REVELED THAT PROPELLER BEGAN STRIKING THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET PAST THE THRESHOLD, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1300 FEET LATER. THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT, THE CENTER OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WITHIN THREE FEET OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AT ALL TIMES. A CHECK OF THE RECORDS FOR MR. COWELL REVELED NO ABNORMALITIES, AND A CHECK OF THE RECORDS FOR N166JC REVELED NO ABNORMALITIES. A CHECK OF THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE INDICATES THE CG WOULD HAVE BEEN BETWEEN 89.1 AND 90.0 INCHES, DEPENDING ON THE FUEL LOADING. THESE VALUES ARE WELL WITHIN THE LIMITS FOR THE AIRCRAFT.