What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 30, 2018, at approximately 09:45 eastern time (13:45Z), a 1964 Beechcraft baron BE-55, N137BT, landed with the landing gear retracted on runway 31 at the Virgil I Grissom Municipal Airport (kbfr), Bedford, Indiana. It was determined the aircraft received minor damage to the lower fuselage skins, gear doors and flaps. The pilot, the only occupant, was not injured. The aircraft is registered to stone city aviation LLC, and was being operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 on a flight in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) in the local area as a personal flight.
The pilot stated at liftoff the cabin door opened. With insufficient runway remaining, he decided to continue, fly the traffic pattern and land. The pilot does not remember retracting the landing gear. While on downwind the pilot heard what he believed to be the stall warning horn and added power. This was later determined to be the land gear warning horn. On final the pilot lowered full flaps and in preparation for landing. The aircraft touched down approximately 300 feet from the runway threshold on centerline. The aircraft slid approximately 815 feet and came to rest in the center of runway 31 on an approximate heading of 305 degrees. The pilot shut down, secured, and exited the aircraft.
The aircraft was placed on jacks and an operational check of the landing gear system was performed by the maintenance facility. The gear operated normally with several retract cycles. The landing gear warning and light indication systems worked normally with each cycle.
The pilot became distracted by the open door, failed to use proper checklist procedures, and as a result did not extend the landing gear before landing.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 30, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 09:45 EASTERN TIME (13:45Z), A 1964 BEECHCRAFT BARON BE-55, N137BT, LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED ON RUNWAY 31 AT THE VIRGIL I GRISSOM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBFR), BEDFORD, INDIANA. IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE SKINS, GEAR DOORS AND FLAPS. THE PILOT, THE ONLY OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO STONE CITY AVIATION LLC, AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 ON A FLIGHT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) IN THE LOCAL AREA AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT STATED AT LIFTOFF THE CABIN DOOR OPENED. WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING, HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE, FLY THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LAND. THE PILOT DOES NOT REMEMBER RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR. WHILE ON DOWNWIND THE PILOT HEARD WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE THE STALL WARNING HORN AND ADDED POWER. THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE THE LAND GEAR WARNING HORN. ON FINAL THE PILOT LOWERED FULL FLAPS AND IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ON CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 815 FEET AND CAME TO REST IN THE CENTER OF RUNWAY 31 ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 305 DEGREES. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN, SECURED, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS AND AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS PERFORMED BY THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. THE GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY WITH SEVERAL RETRACT CYCLES. THE LANDING GEAR WARNING AND LIGHT INDICATION SYSTEMS WORKED NORMALLY WITH EACH CYCLE.
THE PILOT BECAME DISTRACTED BY THE OPEN DOOR, FAILED TO USE PROPER CHECKLIST PROCEDURES, AND AS A RESULT DID NOT EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR BEFORE LANDING.