What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
From pilot statement - on Sunday January 10, 2020 I was flying N8102P on a cross country training flight from northeast kingdom international airport (kefk) to Rutland regional airport (krut). I was in the right-hand seat. The privacy data omitted was in the left seat. We completed several routine touch and goes at kefk and then continued to krut where we had completed one touch and go.
After the first touch and go, I took the controls from the right seat to demonstrate a landing. On downwind I reached over to the left-hand side of the aircraft and moved the gear leaver down and felt it click into a detent. I flew the rest of the pattern in a routine fashion.
I brought the aircraft down on runway 19 for what looked to be a smooth landing. The aircraft did not settle onto the wheels but rather slid down the runway on the fuselage. The circumstances did not permit adding power to go around. Once the aircraft came to a complete stop, I looked at the gear lever and then felt it to see if it was in the down position. As I pushed down on the gear lever, I felt it click down into a second detent.
This Piper comanche?s gear lever has an ?up? ?off? And ?down? Gear level selection position. I believe that in the air the detent that I felt was not the down detent that I thought it was. The gear warning horn did not sound at any point during the landing. In previous flights, I had noted that the gear indicator lights were dimmed and hard to see, so I relied on the detent in the switch operation to let me know if the switch was in the down position
As the FAA filed it
FROM PILOT STATEMENT - ON SUNDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 I WAS FLYING N8102P ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING FLIGHT FROM NORTHEAST KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KEFK) TO RUTLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT (KRUT). I WAS IN THE RIGHT-HAND SEAT. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. WE COMPLETED SEVERAL ROUTINE TOUCH AND GOES AT KEFK AND THEN CONTINUED TO KRUT WHERE WE HAD COMPLETED ONE TOUCH AND GO.
AFTER THE FIRST TOUCH AND GO, I TOOK THE CONTROLS FROM THE RIGHT SEAT TO DEMONSTRATE A LANDING. ON DOWNWIND I REACHED OVER TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND MOVED THE GEAR LEAVER DOWN AND FELT IT CLICK INTO A DETENT. I FLEW THE REST OF THE PATTERN IN A ROUTINE FASHION.
I BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN ON RUNWAY 19 FOR WHAT LOOKED TO BE A SMOOTH LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SETTLE ONTO THE WHEELS BUT RATHER SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE FUSELAGE. THE CIRCUMSTANCES DID NOT PERMIT ADDING POWER TO GO AROUND. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, I LOOKED AT THE GEAR LEVER AND THEN FELT IT TO SEE IF IT WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. AS I PUSHED DOWN ON THE GEAR LEVER, I FELT IT CLICK DOWN INTO A SECOND DETENT.
THIS PIPER COMANCHE?S GEAR LEVER HAS AN ?UP? ?OFF? AND ?DOWN? GEAR LEVEL SELECTION POSITION. I BELIEVE THAT IN THE AIR THE DETENT THAT I FELT WAS NOT THE DOWN DETENT THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS. THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND AT ANY POINT DURING THE LANDING. IN PREVIOUS FLIGHTS, I HAD NOTED THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE DIMMED AND HARD TO SEE, SO I RELIED ON THE DETENT IN THE SWITCH OPERATION TO LET ME KNOW IF THE SWITCH WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION