What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot flies single pilot for personal travel and also does angel fights. His normal procedure is to always fly IFR, shooting an approach and landing out of that. His landing checklist is accomplished at the final approach fix always. On this flight ATC vectored himn to the airport on a clear day and cleared him for a visual. Him approached the runway at a 45 degree angle and turned final at about 3 miles from the runway. Because he did not fly to the final approach fix he had removed a critical point in his normal process, including putting the gear down. He did not realize it until he touched the ground.
Counseled to throw in a 1 or 2 mile check of the gear down so not rely on always doing it at the final approach fix.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT FLIES SINGLE PILOT FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL AND ALSO DOES ANGEL FIGHTS. HIS NORMAL PROCEDURE IS TO ALWAYS FLY IFR, SHOOTING AN APPROACH AND LANDING OUT OF THAT. HIS LANDING CHECKLIST IS ACCOMPLISHED AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX ALWAYS. ON THIS FLIGHT ATC VECTORED HIMN TO THE AIRPORT ON A CLEAR DAY AND CLEARED HIM FOR A VISUAL. HIM APPROACHED THE RUNWAY AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND TURNED FINAL AT ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY. BECAUSE HE DID NOT FLY TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX HE HAD REMOVED A CRITICAL POINT IN HIS NORMAL PROCESS, INCLUDING PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN. HE DID NOT REALIZE IT UNTIL HE TOUCHED THE GROUND.
COUNSELED TO THROW IN A 1 OR 2 MILE CHECK OF THE GEAR DOWN SO NOT RELY ON ALWAYS DOING IT AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.