CHI98LA088

The pilot took off to practice touch-and-go's. He made a tighter than normal traffic pattern due to reduced visibility. He stated he was distracted due to the visibility. The pilot failed to lower the landing gear. During touchdown the propeller blades contacted the runway and the pilot performed a go-around. Airplane performance was degraded due to the bent propeller blades. The pilot overshot final approach and was unable to properly align the airplane with the runway due to the degraded performance. The airplane touched down in a field where it contacted a snow bank prior to traveling across the runway and coming to a stop. Inspection of the airplane revealed the landing gear warning horn would not operate with the landing gear retracted and flaps extended past 15 degrees.

On January 26, 1998, at 0604 central standard time (cst), a Cessna 310Q, N8189Q, operated by an airline transport rated pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with the runway while landing at the Kenosha Regional Airport, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from the Kenosha Regional Airport about 1600 cst.

The pilot reported that they departed Kenosha with the intentions of practicing touch and go's, but do to restricted visibility he decided to make a full stop landing. The pilot reported that during the landing flare on runway 14 the landing gear warning horn sounded. He advanced the throttles to go-around; however, the propellers contacted the runway degrading their performance. The pilot reported he was able to climb to 150 feet above the ground and he made a 180 degree left turn with the airspeed remaining at 80 to 85 knots. He reported that he was attempting to land on runway 24R, but when he extended the landing gear the airspeed and altitude decayed to a point where he was unable to maneuver the airplane to line up with the runway. The pilot overshot the final approach and the airplane touched down off the right side of runway 24R on a heading of about 200 degrees.

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who inspected the airplane and accident site reported that propeller strikes, 18 inches apart, were visible on runway 14. He also reported that N8189Q touched down on the right side of runway 24R where it contacted a snow bank prior to traveling across the runway. The airplane traveled 411 feet from where it touched down until it came to a stop on the left side of the runway. Inspection of the airplane revealed the landing gear warning horn activated when the throttles were retarded. It did not activate when the flaps were lowered past 15 degrees.

The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Inspector that he usually extends the landing gear on downwind, but do to the restricted visibility he became distracted while trying to fly a tighter than normal traffic pattern.