What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft suffered a gear-up landing at Carson City Airport (kcxp) on Saturday, December 13, 2022. This office was notified on Monday, December 15, 2022.
PIC provided written statement please see below:
"Aircraft landed with the landing gear retracted and slid to a stop on the runway. The pre-landing checklist was completed on downwind, and the gear was confirmed down by checking the lights on both the turn to base and the turn to final. However, the gear switch was still in the up position.
The flight was a test flight to verify proper operation after replacing the starter (a procedure that required 12 hours). I took off, circled at 10,000 MSL above the airport, then made a full stop landing with engine shut down to make an adjustment, then took off again and did two touch-and-go landings. The gear-up landing was to be the final, full-stop landing.
The problem was a result of the pilot not confirming the gear switch was actually in the down position during the pre-landing checklist and then confirmation bias causing the pilot to see three green lights during subsequent checks - the led's are very dim and the sun was very bright.
To prevent a recurrence, I am (1) going to confirm switch position on subsequent checks of
Gear down, (2) install brighter gear lights, and (3) install a gear warning horn"
It appears based on the airman's written statement and telephone conversation, the airman failed to verify gear was extended and the gear selector handle was not locked in the gear extended/gear down and locked position.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A GEAR-UP LANDING AT CARSON CITY AIRPORT (KCXP) ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022. THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022.
PIC PROVIDED WRITTEN STATEMENT PLEASE SEE BELOW:
"AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND SLID TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETED ON DOWNWIND, AND THE GEAR WAS CONFIRMED DOWN BY CHECKING THE LIGHTS ON BOTH THE TURN TO BASE AND THE TURN TO FINAL. HOWEVER, THE GEAR SWITCH WAS STILL IN THE UP POSITION.
THE FLIGHT WAS A TEST FLIGHT TO VERIFY PROPER OPERATION AFTER REPLACING THE STARTER (A PROCEDURE THAT REQUIRED 12 HOURS). I TOOK OFF, CIRCLED AT 10,000 MSL ABOVE THE AIRPORT, THEN MADE A FULL STOP LANDING WITH ENGINE SHUT DOWN TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT, THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN AND DID TWO TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE GEAR-UP LANDING WAS TO BE THE FINAL, FULL-STOP LANDING.
THE PROBLEM WAS A RESULT OF THE PILOT NOT CONFIRMING THE GEAR SWITCH WAS ACTUALLY IN THE DOWN POSITION DURING THE PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST AND THEN CONFIRMATION BIAS CAUSING THE PILOT TO SEE THREE GREEN LIGHTS DURING SUBSEQUENT CHECKS - THE LED'S ARE VERY DIM AND THE SUN WAS VERY BRIGHT.
TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I AM (1) GOING TO CONFIRM SWITCH POSITION ON SUBSEQUENT CHECKS OF
GEAR DOWN, (2) INSTALL BRIGHTER GEAR LIGHTS, AND (3) INSTALL A GEAR WARNING HORN"
IT APPEARS BASED ON THE AIRMAN'S WRITTEN STATEMENT AND TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, THE AIRMAN FAILED TO VERIFY GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND THE GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE WAS NOT LOCKED IN THE GEAR EXTENDED/GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.