What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was practicing steep angle of attack approaches for airshow presentations and flies specific patterns at the airport from departure to landing. The pilot had already accomplished 3 t-offs/landings and on his 4th t/off, shortly after departure and transitioning from base to downwind, ATC requested that he extend his downwind leg for a C-172 that was on a 2 mile final. Pilot immediately slowed the airplane down, then decided to add flaps to fly more slowly (with his aircraft his flaps are the last to be placed down, as normally his landing gear are lowered first.). Then he began looking for the other aircraft to follow which was observed on foreflight but couldn't see the actual aircraft. Shortly after, the aircraft was visible and the pilot recalls thinking...that the aircraft was further than two miles from the runway. He began looking for other traffic and was distracted from finishing his checklist. The pilot planned to land with all three wheels at the same time and realized too late that the gear had not been lowered.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PRACTICING STEEP ANGLE OF ATTACK APPROACHES FOR AIRSHOW PRESENTATIONS AND FLIES SPECIFIC PATTERNS AT THE AIRPORT FROM DEPARTURE TO LANDING. THE PILOT HAD ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED 3 T-OFFS/LANDINGS AND ON HIS 4TH T/OFF, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE AND TRANSITIONING FROM BASE TO DOWNWIND, ATC REQUESTED THAT HE EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND LEG FOR A C-172 THAT WAS ON A 2 MILE FINAL. PILOT IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE AIRPLANE DOWN, THEN DECIDED TO ADD FLAPS TO FLY MORE SLOWLY (WITH HIS AIRCRAFT HIS FLAPS ARE THE LAST TO BE PLACED DOWN, AS NORMALLY HIS LANDING GEAR ARE LOWERED FIRST.). THEN HE BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE OTHER AIRCRAFT TO FOLLOW WHICH WAS OBSERVED ON FOREFLIGHT BUT COULDN'T SEE THE ACTUAL AIRCRAFT. SHORTLY AFTER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS VISIBLE AND THE PILOT RECALLS THINKING...THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FURTHER THAN TWO MILES FROM THE RUNWAY. HE BEGAN LOOKING FOR OTHER TRAFFIC AND WAS DISTRACTED FROM FINISHING HIS CHECKLIST. THE PILOT PLANNED TO LAND WITH ALL THREE WHEELS AT THE SAME TIME AND REALIZED TOO LATE THAT THE GEAR HAD NOT BEEN LOWERED.
Other reports on N796WM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.