What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During our investigation, the airman stated that he was practicing landings at Fredericksburg airport (T82). After a few landings he honestly stated that he got distracted and forgot to put the landing gear handle down. During investigation, we complied with landing gear operational checks. Operational check good.
See pilot's statement provided via email below.
I (PIC, sole person on board) was on a routine VFR training flight on may 31, 2025, from khyi to T82. I performed a wx briefing which reported VFR weather, 10 miles visibility with broken layer 4,500-5,500. I performed a standard preflight inspection that indicated the aircraft was airworthy for this flight. Fuel on board 54 gallons. I departed khyi 11:50AM CT climbed to 4,500FT and remained VFR below the broken layer.
On approach to the airport I made several position reports, overflew the airport midfield, descended and entered left 45-degree traffic pattern for runway 32 and extended the gear. On downwind I put down one notch of flaps, made a position report. Prior to turning base, I extended full flaps and executed gumps check list and made base leg position report. I turned final and was on the established the glide slope verified by the PAPI lights, made a position report with the intention for full stop landing. The landing was smooth and just past the numbers then exited the runway and taxied back for another practice landing.
I configured the plane for normal takeoff (10 degrees flaps, cowl flaps open, rudder trim) and departed from runway 32, retracted gear and flaps on upwind, turned cross wind and downwind at pattern altitude, and re-centered the rudder trim. On this subsequent landing I was thinking about a new landing configuration that uses approach flaps vs full flaps and requires higher approach speed that is used for formation landings. This distraction likely caused me to omit executing the full gumps checklist resulting in a gear up landing on the runway without further causing any injury or smoke/fire damage to the plane. Another possible cause was the absence of a gear warning horn, which I’m asking the repair shop to check. At some point during the incident, I verified the gear switch was down, but considering the gear worked properly on the prior landing this was likely tardy reaction. Nevertheless, to rule out a mechanical issue the mechanic will check the gear and safety switch. Upon the plane skidding to a stop on the runway a ~1/3 of the way down I radioed on the UNICOM frequency alerting traffic to the blocked runway by a disabled plane and requested assistance from ground support. Lastly, I turned off the master, mags and strobe lights and removed the keys and exited the plane.
Airman counseling provided. Faast team shared 2 aopa articles on how to avoid gear-up landings and mishaps.
As the FAA filed it
DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING LANDINGS AT FREDERICKSBURG AIRPORT (T82). AFTER A FEW LANDINGS HE HONESTLY STATED THAT HE GOT DISTRACTED AND FORGOT TO PUT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE DOWN. DURING INVESTIGATION, WE COMPLIED WITH LANDING GEAR OPERATIONAL CHECKS. OPERATIONAL CHECK GOOD.
SEE PILOT'S STATEMENT PROVIDED VIA EMAIL BELOW.
I (PIC, SOLE PERSON ON BOARD) WAS ON A ROUTINE VFR TRAINING FLIGHT ON MAY 31, 2025, FROM KHYI TO T82. I PERFORMED A WX BRIEFING WHICH REPORTED VFR WEATHER, 10 MILES VISIBILITY WITH BROKEN LAYER 4,500-5,500. I PERFORMED A STANDARD PREFLIGHT INSPECTION THAT INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY FOR THIS FLIGHT. FUEL ON BOARD 54 GALLONS. I DEPARTED KHYI 11:50AM CT CLIMBED TO 4,500FT AND REMAINED VFR BELOW THE BROKEN LAYER.
ON APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT I MADE SEVERAL POSITION REPORTS, OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT MIDFIELD, DESCENDED AND ENTERED LEFT 45-DEGREE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 32 AND EXTENDED THE GEAR. ON DOWNWIND I PUT DOWN ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS, MADE A POSITION REPORT. PRIOR TO TURNING BASE, I EXTENDED FULL FLAPS AND EXECUTED GUMPS CHECK LIST AND MADE BASE LEG POSITION REPORT. I TURNED FINAL AND WAS ON THE ESTABLISHED THE GLIDE SLOPE VERIFIED BY THE PAPI LIGHTS, MADE A POSITION REPORT WITH THE INTENTION FOR FULL STOP LANDING. THE LANDING WAS SMOOTH AND JUST PAST THE NUMBERS THEN EXITED THE RUNWAY AND TAXIED BACK FOR ANOTHER PRACTICE LANDING.
I CONFIGURED THE PLANE FOR NORMAL TAKEOFF (10 DEGREES FLAPS, COWL FLAPS OPEN, RUDDER TRIM) AND DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 32, RETRACTED GEAR AND FLAPS ON UPWIND, TURNED CROSS WIND AND DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALTITUDE, AND RE-CENTERED THE RUDDER TRIM. ON THIS SUBSEQUENT LANDING I WAS THINKING ABOUT A NEW LANDING CONFIGURATION THAT USES APPROACH FLAPS VS FULL FLAPS AND REQUIRES HIGHER APPROACH SPEED THAT IS USED FOR FORMATION LANDINGS. THIS DISTRACTION LIKELY CAUSED ME TO OMIT EXECUTING THE FULL GUMPS CHECKLIST RESULTING IN A GEAR UP LANDING ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER CAUSING ANY INJURY OR SMOKE/FIRE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. ANOTHER POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS THE ABSENCE OF A GEAR WARNING HORN, WHICH I’M ASKING THE REPAIR SHOP TO CHECK. AT SOME POINT DURING THE INCIDENT, I VERIFIED THE GEAR SWITCH WAS DOWN, BUT CONSIDERING THE GEAR WORKED PROPERLY ON THE PRIOR LANDING THIS WAS LIKELY TARDY REACTION. NEVERTHELESS, TO RULE OUT A MECHANICAL ISSUE THE MECHANIC WILL CHECK THE GEAR AND SAFETY SWITCH. UPON THE PLANE SKIDDING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY A ~1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN I RADIOED ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY ALERTING TRAFFIC TO THE BLOCKED RUNWAY BY A DISABLED PLANE AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM GROUND SUPPORT. LASTLY, I TURNED OFF THE MASTER, MAGS AND STROBE LIGHTS AND REMOVED THE KEYS AND EXITED THE PLANE.
AIRMAN COUNSELING PROVIDED. FAAST TEAM SHARED 2 AOPA ARTICLES ON HOW TO AVOID GEAR-UP LANDINGS AND MISHAPS.