What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The instructor and student pilot for N1556A departed goodyear airport (kgyr) for Mobile Airport (1AZ0) on the morning of 10/24/13. The purpose of the flight was to position at 1AZ0 for the student's first solo. Prior to the solo, the crew planned to perform approximately 3 landings and a simulated engine failure in the pattern at 1AZ0.
Enroute to 1AZ0, the pilots received the AWOS weather from buckeye airport (kbxk) to determine the possible winds at 1AZ0. The winds favored landing on runway 27 at 1AZ0.
The pilots entered a pattern for runway 27, and landed with a "noticeable tailwind" of approximately 6 knots. After performing one more pattern on runway 27, the crew performed a full stop landing, and allowed a backseat passenger to exit the aircraft.
The crew then taxied for a takeoff on runway 9. The crew followed another company aircraft in the pattern. The crew initially followed normal company procedures in the pattern, and selected flaps 15 on downwind. Abeam the approach end of runway 9 on downwind, the instructor asked the crew of the preceding aircraft if there was room for N1556A to cut in front in the pattern to perform a simulated engine failure/ short approach. The crew of the preceding aircraft responded that there was not enough room.
The crew of N1556A then changed their plans, and continued on downwind for a normal landing. Due to the change in plan, the student pilot had not followed some typical pattern procedures (I.e. setting a timer abeam the approach end, to time for the turn to base). The instructor then told the student to turn base.
According to the student's statement, the normal company procedures were dismissed or forgotten from this point on. The student did not extend the gear, did not make normal reduction in power, did not trim for descent, did not perform the "final items" and did not perform the "final checklist".
Upon turning base, the student and instructor both realized they were too high and fast. The student stated that his focus "was completely on correcting the altitude and speed". The normal company callouts were not performed at this time: "gear checked/ runway clear."
The student also stated that the "gear warning horn had been sounding since end of base".
Upon touchdown the crew realized the gear was in the retracted position. The aircraft came to a stop approximately halfway down the runway.
Upon examination of the aircraft by the iic, it was found that the gear handle was in the retracted position. It was also found that the "annunciator test" switch was in the "dim" position. This was likely due to the fact that the aircraft had been flown on a night mission previous to this flight. This switch position would make the gear position lights, and the gear warning light more difficult to see during daytime conditions.
As the FAA filed it
THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT FOR N1556A DEPARTED GOODYEAR AIRPORT (KGYR) FOR MOBILE AIRPORT (1AZ0) ON THE MORNING OF 10/24/13. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO POSITION AT 1AZ0 FOR THE STUDENT'S FIRST SOLO. PRIOR TO THE SOLO, THE CREW PLANNED TO PERFORM APPROXIMATELY 3 LANDINGS AND A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE IN THE PATTERN AT 1AZ0.
ENROUTE TO 1AZ0, THE PILOTS RECEIVED THE AWOS WEATHER FROM BUCKEYE AIRPORT (KBXK) TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBLE WINDS AT 1AZ0. THE WINDS FAVORED LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 AT 1AZ0.
THE PILOTS ENTERED A PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 27, AND LANDED WITH A "NOTICEABLE TAILWIND" OF APPROXIMATELY 6 KNOTS. AFTER PERFORMING ONE MORE PATTERN ON RUNWAY 27, THE CREW PERFORMED A FULL STOP LANDING, AND ALLOWED A BACKSEAT PASSENGER TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT.
THE CREW THEN TAXIED FOR A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 9. THE CREW FOLLOWED ANOTHER COMPANY AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN. THE CREW INITIALLY FOLLOWED NORMAL COMPANY PROCEDURES IN THE PATTERN, AND SELECTED FLAPS 15 ON DOWNWIND. ABEAM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 9 ON DOWNWIND, THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE CREW OF THE PRECEDING AIRCRAFT IF THERE WAS ROOM FOR N1556A TO CUT IN FRONT IN THE PATTERN TO PERFORM A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE/ SHORT APPROACH. THE CREW OF THE PRECEDING AIRCRAFT RESPONDED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM.
THE CREW OF N1556A THEN CHANGED THEIR PLANS, AND CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND FOR A NORMAL LANDING. DUE TO THE CHANGE IN PLAN, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD NOT FOLLOWED SOME TYPICAL PATTERN PROCEDURES (I.E. SETTING A TIMER ABEAM THE APPROACH END, TO TIME FOR THE TURN TO BASE). THE INSTRUCTOR THEN TOLD THE STUDENT TO TURN BASE.
ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT'S STATEMENT, THE NORMAL COMPANY PROCEDURES WERE DISMISSED OR FORGOTTEN FROM THIS POINT ON. THE STUDENT DID NOT EXTEND THE GEAR, DID NOT MAKE NORMAL REDUCTION IN POWER, DID NOT TRIM FOR DESCENT, DID NOT PERFORM THE "FINAL ITEMS" AND DID NOT PERFORM THE "FINAL CHECKLIST".
UPON TURNING BASE, THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR BOTH REALIZED THEY WERE TOO HIGH AND FAST. THE STUDENT STATED THAT HIS FOCUS "WAS COMPLETELY ON CORRECTING THE ALTITUDE AND SPEED". THE NORMAL COMPANY CALLOUTS WERE NOT PERFORMED AT THIS TIME: "GEAR CHECKED/ RUNWAY CLEAR."
THE STUDENT ALSO STATED THAT THE "GEAR WARNING HORN HAD BEEN SOUNDING SINCE END OF BASE".
UPON TOUCHDOWN THE CREW REALIZED THE GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY.
UPON EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE IIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE "ANNUNCIATOR TEST" SWITCH WAS IN THE "DIM" POSITION. THIS WAS LIKELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN ON A NIGHT MISSION PREVIOUS TO THIS FLIGHT. THIS SWITCH POSITION WOULD MAKE THE GEAR POSITION LIGHTS, AND THE GEAR WARNING LIGHT MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE DURING DAYTIME CONDITIONS.