What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Statement as provided by pilot in command:
On may 19, 2022, I departed pleasanton airport around 0850 in my Piper comanche PA-24-250.
Departed airstrip and climbed to 6500 MSL all system were normal completed checks and connected with san antonio ATC for flight following. Picked up cloud cover around uvalde Texas and was VFR on top with flight following with houston ATC. Was handed off to laughlin ATC and started decent to 3000 MSL remained VFR above cloud layer. When over laughlin and about 5 miles from Del Rio airport I radioed lafb ATC that I would stay with them until I could reach a break in clouds so I could descend to pattern altitude. I found that clouds were broken around 2 miles from Del Rio and started my descent.
When I was over mid field of Del Rio airport, I started my landing check list. At this time lafb ATC advised me to switch to Del Rio frequency. I went to my radio and switched frequency and then completed my check list. I feel this is the point my check list was interrupted, and I missed the gear.
I entered a down wind for runway 13 then turned right base and then entered short final. When on short final I had some turbulence when crossing end of runway, I adjusted and continued down runway. I noticed that plane was floating more then normal down the runway at this time I pulled to idle and heard the gear warning horn. At this point I realized gear was not down and I was too close to ground to execute a go around. I was concerned that prop would hit ground at a high RPM and either send aircraft out of control or I would be back in air with a damaged prop that could fail during flight. I made the choice that it was better to keep at idle and nose up to land as slow as possible.
Airplane touched down around 1500 feet from threshold and slid 425 ft. to a stop. I turned fuel power off and exited plane. Had plane off runway within 30-45 minutes. Inspection of aircraft revealed that only skin of aircraft on undercarriage was damaged. The frame structure of plane had not been damaged the flaps were damaged but repairable. Prop was damaged beyond repair and engine will need to be removed and inspected. I sustained no injuries, and no other person or property was damaged.
As the FAA filed it
STATEMENT AS PROVIDED BY PILOT IN COMMAND:
ON MAY 19, 2022, I DEPARTED PLEASANTON AIRPORT AROUND 0850 IN MY PIPER COMANCHE PA-24-250.
DEPARTED AIRSTRIP AND CLIMBED TO 6500 MSL ALL SYSTEM WERE NORMAL COMPLETED CHECKS AND CONNECTED WITH SAN ANTONIO ATC FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. PICKED UP CLOUD COVER AROUND UVALDE TEXAS AND WAS VFR ON TOP WITH FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH HOUSTON ATC. WAS HANDED OFF TO LAUGHLIN ATC AND STARTED DECENT TO 3000 MSL REMAINED VFR ABOVE CLOUD LAYER. WHEN OVER LAUGHLIN AND ABOUT 5 MILES FROM DEL RIO AIRPORT I RADIOED LAFB ATC THAT I WOULD STAY WITH THEM UNTIL I COULD REACH A BREAK IN CLOUDS SO I COULD DESCEND TO PATTERN ALTITUDE. I FOUND THAT CLOUDS WERE BROKEN AROUND 2 MILES FROM DEL RIO AND STARTED MY DESCENT.
WHEN I WAS OVER MID FIELD OF DEL RIO AIRPORT, I STARTED MY LANDING CHECK LIST. AT THIS TIME LAFB ATC ADVISED ME TO SWITCH TO DEL RIO FREQUENCY. I WENT TO MY RADIO AND SWITCHED FREQUENCY AND THEN COMPLETED MY CHECK LIST. I FEEL THIS IS THE POINT MY CHECK LIST WAS INTERRUPTED, AND I MISSED THE GEAR.
I ENTERED A DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 13 THEN TURNED RIGHT BASE AND THEN ENTERED SHORT FINAL. WHEN ON SHORT FINAL I HAD SOME TURBULENCE WHEN CROSSING END OF RUNWAY, I ADJUSTED AND CONTINUED DOWN RUNWAY. I NOTICED THAT PLANE WAS FLOATING MORE THEN NORMAL DOWN THE RUNWAY AT THIS TIME I PULLED TO IDLE AND HEARD THE GEAR WARNING HORN. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND I WAS TOO CLOSE TO GROUND TO EXECUTE A GO AROUND. I WAS CONCERNED THAT PROP WOULD HIT GROUND AT A HIGH RPM AND EITHER SEND AIRCRAFT OUT OF CONTROL OR I WOULD BE BACK IN AIR WITH A DAMAGED PROP THAT COULD FAIL DURING FLIGHT. I MADE THE CHOICE THAT IT WAS BETTER TO KEEP AT IDLE AND NOSE UP TO LAND AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE.
AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 1500 FEET FROM THRESHOLD AND SLID 425 FT. TO A STOP. I TURNED FUEL POWER OFF AND EXITED PLANE. HAD PLANE OFF RUNWAY WITHIN 30-45 MINUTES. INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT ONLY SKIN OF AIRCRAFT ON UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DAMAGED. THE FRAME STRUCTURE OF PLANE HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED THE FLAPS WERE DAMAGED BUT REPAIRABLE. PROP WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED AND INSPECTED. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES, AND NO OTHER PERSON OR PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED.
Other reports on N7950P · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.