ATL04IA010

Upon returning to the airport the pilot requested a traffic advisory and a glider pilot announced he was in the traffic pattern for runway 36. The pilot announced that he would extend his downwind and base to final to give the glider time to land. He stated that he went through his pre-landing checklist but elected not to lower the gear at that time, instead he lowered the flaps and proceeded to turn base to final. He said that he spotted the glider on the ground about one mile out on final and proceeded to land and forgot that he had not lowered his landing gear until he heard the gear warning horn and landed with the gear retracted. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the landing. According to the pilot, he had accumulated over 750 landings in retractable geared airplanes and had never forgot to put the gear down until now.

On October 1, 2003, at 1738 central daylight time, a Beech 58, N7219H, registered to and operated by the private pilot collided with the ground during landing at Columbus-Lowndes County Airport, Columbus, Mississippi. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot was not injuries and the airplane sustained minor damage. The flight originated from Columbus-Lowndes County Airport Columbus, Mississippi, on October 1, 2003, at 1721.

According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to "exercise" the engine's since it had been about two and one-half weeks since the airplane had been flown. He remained in the area and about 20 minutes later announced over the Unicom that he was 10 miles out and was going to enter the traffic pattern for a downwind approach to runway 36. He requested a traffic advisory and a glider pilot announced he was in the traffic pattern for runway 36. The pilot stated that he announced that he would extend his downwind and base to final to give the glider time to land. The pilot said that he went through his pre-landing check list but elected not to lower the gear at that time, instead he lowered the flaps and proceeded to turn base to final. He said that he spotted the glider on the ground about one mile out on final and proceeded to land and forgot that he had not lowered his landing gear until he heard the gear warning horn and landed on the belly of the airplane.

Damage to the airplane consisted of both propellers, fuselage skin damage, and the inboard section of both flaps. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the landing. According to the pilot, he had accumulated over 750 landings in retractable geared airplanes and had never forgot to put the gear down until now.