What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 2, 2023, the pilot of the aircraft departed on vacation, flying from denver to Animas Air Park (00C) for the first leg of the trip. The pilot stated he completed the before landing checklist, and had the aircraft configured for landing. Upon landing, he first noted a couple of sounds thinking the propeller must have picked up a couple rocks on the runway, and proceeded to land, though unknowingly the gear was not down. He stated he thought he saw the gear lights on, indicating the gear was down.
The gear switch is a three position device, up, off, and down. When the aircraft was lifted up after landing, the pilot stated he placed the gear switch into the down position, hearing the hydraulic pump, and the gear lowered and locked into place. The pilot also stated he thought the gear switch was in the off position (center position) when lowering the gear. This indicated he may have missed the after takeoff checklist step to place the landing gear in the off position, so when lowering the gear for landing it was moved to the off position rather than the down position.
Two weeks earlier, he had gear problems. At that time, he was able to verify with a tower operator the gear was down, though the amber gear lights were on for that occasion. Maintenance found a broken wire in the wheel well, which fixed the problem, and flight testing checked satisfactory.
The pilot and passenger were wearing noise-cancelling headsets, and don’t know why they didn’t hear the gear warning horn when reducing power to 15 inches of manifold without the gear down.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 2, 2023, THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON VACATION, FLYING FROM DENVER TO ANIMAS AIR PARK (00C) FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP. THE PILOT STATED HE COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST, AND HAD THE AIRCRAFT CONFIGURED FOR LANDING. UPON LANDING, HE FIRST NOTED A COUPLE OF SOUNDS THINKING THE PROPELLER MUST HAVE PICKED UP A COUPLE ROCKS ON THE RUNWAY, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND, THOUGH UNKNOWINGLY THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. HE STATED HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE GEAR LIGHTS ON, INDICATING THE GEAR WAS DOWN.
THE GEAR SWITCH IS A THREE POSITION DEVICE, UP, OFF, AND DOWN. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED UP AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT STATED HE PLACED THE GEAR SWITCH INTO THE DOWN POSITION, HEARING THE HYDRAULIC PUMP, AND THE GEAR LOWERED AND LOCKED INTO PLACE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE THOUGHT THE GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION (CENTER POSITION) WHEN LOWERING THE GEAR. THIS INDICATED HE MAY HAVE MISSED THE AFTER TAKEOFF CHECKLIST STEP TO PLACE THE LANDING GEAR IN THE OFF POSITION, SO WHEN LOWERING THE GEAR FOR LANDING IT WAS MOVED TO THE OFF POSITION RATHER THAN THE DOWN POSITION.
TWO WEEKS EARLIER, HE HAD GEAR PROBLEMS. AT THAT TIME, HE WAS ABLE TO VERIFY WITH A TOWER OPERATOR THE GEAR WAS DOWN, THOUGH THE AMBER GEAR LIGHTS WERE ON FOR THAT OCCASION. MAINTENANCE FOUND A BROKEN WIRE IN THE WHEEL WELL, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND FLIGHT TESTING CHECKED SATISFACTORY.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING NOISE-CANCELLING HEADSETS, AND DON’T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN’T HEAR THE GEAR WARNING HORN WHEN REDUCING POWER TO 15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD WITHOUT THE GEAR DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.