Primary finding
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to ensure that the landing gear was extended before landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he forgot to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown on the runway.
Source record
Factual narrative
On January 3, 1996, at 1400 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-24- 250, N6297P, was landed with the landing gear retracted at Grove Field, Camas, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight had departed from Sandy, Oregon, approximately five minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported that he forgot to extend the landing gear prior to touch down on runway 25. The occurrence was not reported until January 10, 1996. The damage to the airplane could not be assessed until January 25, 1996, due to limited access to the airplane. -