What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-08-18 N21448 a Mooney M20M landed at Crystal Airport (kmic) with the landing gear up
The private pilot PIC departed closed field from kmic at 0607L headed to kstc where he intended to shoot an approach for practice and then return to kmic to do the same. The morning haze at kstc precluded a touch and go and a low approach was flown. The PIC never flew higher than 4000 ft for the return. Minimum altitude prior to the iaf was 3000 ft. the PIC was at 3000 ft. for 4 min prior to the iaf, approximately 8 miles and below gear extension speed for this cruise segment. He then descended on speed for 500 ft., and flew about another 2 minutes to the faf at a controlled speed below gear extension. At the final approach fix the rate of descent was 500 fpm or less and the speed remained controlled and decreasing slowly. For about 10 minutes of flight the aircraft was below gear extension speed.
The tower witness had just come on duty and was setting up. The aircraft was cleared to land rwy 14. The tower saw the aircraft in the flare just before touchdown and stated the gear was up. Follow on investigation supported this in that main gear doors were perfect and belly slide and nose gear slide marks were present. The gear was up, it had not collapsed.
Damage was minimal including a prop strike, belly skin scraping and a slight rub on inboard corner of left flap indicative of an incident level of damage.
At first the PIC had believed the gear had collapsed. However, after review of the facts it is believed he understood this was a gear up landing. He did not recall hearing a gear warning horn and believed he had checked the gear.
An airman counseling was conducted discussing that long vectors or a long final can allow an airplane to slow down, so it is important to go back and do a short final check of configuration prior to touchdown.
As the FAA filed it
2021-08-18 N21448 A MOONEY M20M LANDED AT CRYSTAL AIRPORT (KMIC) WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP
THE PRIVATE PILOT PIC DEPARTED CLOSED FIELD FROM KMIC AT 0607L HEADED TO KSTC WHERE HE INTENDED TO SHOOT AN APPROACH FOR PRACTICE AND THEN RETURN TO KMIC TO DO THE SAME. THE MORNING HAZE AT KSTC PRECLUDED A TOUCH AND GO AND A LOW APPROACH WAS FLOWN. THE PIC NEVER FLEW HIGHER THAN 4000 FT FOR THE RETURN. MINIMUM ALTITUDE PRIOR TO THE IAF WAS 3000 FT. THE PIC WAS AT 3000 FT. FOR 4 MIN PRIOR TO THE IAF, APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES AND BELOW GEAR EXTENSION SPEED FOR THIS CRUISE SEGMENT. HE THEN DESCENDED ON SPEED FOR 500 FT., AND FLEW ABOUT ANOTHER 2 MINUTES TO THE FAF AT A CONTROLLED SPEED BELOW GEAR EXTENSION. AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX THE RATE OF DESCENT WAS 500 FPM OR LESS AND THE SPEED REMAINED CONTROLLED AND DECREASING SLOWLY. FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BELOW GEAR EXTENSION SPEED.
THE TOWER WITNESS HAD JUST COME ON DUTY AND WAS SETTING UP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND RWY 14. THE TOWER SAW THE AIRCRAFT IN THE FLARE JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AND STATED THE GEAR WAS UP. FOLLOW ON INVESTIGATION SUPPORTED THIS IN THAT MAIN GEAR DOORS WERE PERFECT AND BELLY SLIDE AND NOSE GEAR SLIDE MARKS WERE PRESENT. THE GEAR WAS UP, IT HAD NOT COLLAPSED.
DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL INCLUDING A PROP STRIKE, BELLY SKIN SCRAPING AND A SLIGHT RUB ON INBOARD CORNER OF LEFT FLAP INDICATIVE OF AN INCIDENT LEVEL OF DAMAGE.
AT FIRST THE PIC HAD BELIEVED THE GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. HOWEVER, AFTER REVIEW OF THE FACTS IT IS BELIEVED HE UNDERSTOOD THIS WAS A GEAR UP LANDING. HE DID NOT RECALL HEARING A GEAR WARNING HORN AND BELIEVED HE HAD CHECKED THE GEAR.
AN AIRMAN COUNSELING WAS CONDUCTED DISCUSSING THAT LONG VECTORS OR A LONG FINAL CAN ALLOW AN AIRPLANE TO SLOW DOWN, SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO BACK AND DO A SHORT FINAL CHECK OF CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.