What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
24 Days after receiving his private pilot certificate, the pilotprivacy data omitted conducted a personal flight from mpo to his home base at fwn, at approximately 2:20 am local time. The aircraft touched down with landing gear retracted, slid on the belly and caught fire. Both occupants exited the aircraft without injury. VFR night conditions prevailed, there was no runway contamination and wind was insignificant. The pilot purchased the accident aircraft less than two minths prior to the accident.
Marks on the runway suggest the aircraft touched down approximately one third down runway 3 with the gear up and engine at idle power. Damage signatures on the propeller suggest the propeller contacted the runway with the engine making idle power. The aircraft slid approximately 1000 feet and came to rest on the centerline oriented on runway heading, and was substantially consumed by fire. Wreckage examination disclosed the right fuel header tank quick drain lodged open by contact with and damage from the runway, providing an uninterrupted source of fuel. Another likely source of fuel is the main fuel strainer glass bowl located in the nose wheel well (fuel strainer and electric fuel pumps were not located and assumed to be consumed by fire). Aerodynamic and powerplant pre-accident control continuity could not be determined to do fire damage.
In his written statement, the pilot stated that he lowered the landing gear about five miles from the runway and recalls seeing the green light. He also states that it is possible he inadvertently selected gear up while using the adjacent manual trim wheel during the approach.
As the FAA filed it
24 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM MPO TO HIS HOME BASE AT FWN, AT APPROXIMATELY 2:20 AM LOCAL TIME. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, SLID ON THE BELLY AND CAUGHT FIRE. BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. VFR NIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED, THERE WAS NO RUNWAY CONTAMINATION AND WIND WAS INSIGNIFICANT. THE PILOT PURCHASED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT LESS THAN TWO MINTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
MARKS ON THE RUNWAY SUGGEST THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD DOWN RUNWAY 3 WITH THE GEAR UP AND ENGINE AT IDLE POWER. DAMAGE SIGNATURES ON THE PROPELLER SUGGEST THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WITH THE ENGINE MAKING IDLE POWER. THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET AND CAME TO REST ON THE CENTERLINE ORIENTED ON RUNWAY HEADING, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE RIGHT FUEL HEADER TANK QUICK DRAIN LODGED OPEN BY CONTACT WITH AND DAMAGE FROM THE RUNWAY, PROVIDING AN UNINTERRUPTED SOURCE OF FUEL. ANOTHER LIKELY SOURCE OF FUEL IS THE MAIN FUEL STRAINER GLASS BOWL LOCATED IN THE NOSE WHEEL WELL (FUEL STRAINER AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE NOT LOCATED AND ASSUMED TO BE CONSUMED BY FIRE). AERODYNAMIC AND POWERPLANT PRE-ACCIDENT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE DETERMINED TO DO FIRE DAMAGE.
IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM THE RUNWAY AND RECALLS SEEING THE GREEN LIGHT. HE ALSO STATES THAT IT IS POSSIBLE HE INADVERTENTLY SELECTED GEAR UP WHILE USING THE ADJACENT MANUAL TRIM WHEEL DURING THE APPROACH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.