20150901012859I

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1818 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), THE AIRMAN, HOLDER OF A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING, WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT INCIDENT THAT RESULTED FROM LANDING WITH THE AIRCRAFT?S LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT, A MOONEY M-20-E SERIES, IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY THE AIRMAN; THE AIRCRAFT, BY DESIGN, INCORPORATED A MECHANICAL LANDING GEAR EXTENSION AND RETRACTION SYSTEM. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRMAN?S VERBAL STATEMENT, THE AIRMAN AND PASSENGER DEPARTED THE MARYSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMYZ), MARYSVILLE, KANSAS, FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. THE KMYZ AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS), AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, REPORTED CLEAR SKIES AND SOUTHERLY WINDS AT 10 KNOTS. UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR LOCAL FLIGHT, THE AIRMAN RETURNED TO KMYZ AND ESTABLISHED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR THE SOUTH-EASTERLY ORIENTED RUNWAY. AS THE WINDS HAD SHIFTED SLIGHTLY SINCE THEIR DEPARTURE, THE AIRMAN DESIRED TO PRACTICE CROSSWIND LANDING CONTROL INPUTS AND ELECTED TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE RUNWAY AND FLY ALONG THE CENTERLINE FOR THE RUNWAY?S ENTIRE LENGTH. PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRMAN CONDUCTED A BEFORE-LANDING CHECK WHICH CONFIRMING THE ACCURATE POSITION OF THE FUEL VALVE, FLAP POSITION EXTENDED ¾ TRAVEL, TRIM, LANDING GEAR EXTENDED, PROPELLER, AND MIXTURE. PER THE AIRMAN?S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY FOR THE INTENT OF PRACTICING CROSSWIND CONTROL INPUTS. AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND HOWEVER CONSCIOUSLY DECIDED TO LEAVE THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED SINCE THE NEXT APPROACH WOULD RESULT IN A FULL-STOP LANDING. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FINAL FOR THE SOUTH RUNWAY, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE BEFORE-LANDING CHECKLIST WAS CONDUCTED. WHEN THE CHECKLIST REFERENCED THE LANDING GEAR, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE NORMAL RESPONSE WAS TO MOVE THE MECHANICAL LANDING GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE AND THUS DID SO. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THIS ACTION RESULTED IN THE INADVERTENT RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR RESULTING IN A GEAR-UP LANDING. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRMAN?S STATEMENT, THE NORMAL CHECKLIST RESPONSE DID NOT NECESSARILY ADDRESS THE POSITION OF THE MECHANICAL LANDING GEAR, BUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE GEAR LEVER ONLY. THE AIRMAN?S STATEMENT ALSO INDICATED THAT AN AURAL WARNING WAS HEARD DURING THE LANDING FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN, HOWEVER THE AIRMAN BELIEVED IT WAS THE STALL HORN WHICH WAS GENERALLY HEARD. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED-DOWN ON THE SOUTH RUNWAY WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, SLIDING TO A STOP; MINOR DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED HOWEVER THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED.