GA small aircraft gear up landing.

Attributes
ACN	134049
Time
Date	199001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hae
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 524
ASRS Report	134049
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff from hae, just as I placed my hand on the gear lever, the passenger door blew open explosively. I immediately decided to return and land, and left the gear down (I thought). I cannot be sure, but I may have moved the lever up, and then, before the gear could cycle, returned it to the down position. On downwind I visually confirmed a green light and lever in the down position. So did my front seat passenger, who had moved so he was facing me. Rolling into base leg, I again looked at the gear indicator and saw the green light and handle down. After that I did not look at the gear indicator again, although I should have. My passenger moved back to face the front again. Landing seemed normal with a crosswind from the left. I believe I felt the left main gear touch first and then the gear retract into the wells. We floated long enough for the gear to cycle completely up before touching down. I decided not to attempt a go around. I did not hear the throttle warning horn, but I subsequently determined it was operating. I had kept enough power on that it would not have gone off until the flare, anyway. When we stopped, the gear handle was neutral. What bothers me is I can't figure out what happened. If the gear was up, why did I have a green light and down handle, and not hear the horn? (I wear a headset, and it was very loud.) if the gear was out, which I believe, why and how did it retract? I'm sure I saw the lever down and a green light, and even called it out loud. Obviously, I should have looked at the gear indicator on short final so I could have gone around if it had been moved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM HAE, JUST AS I PLACED MY HAND ON THE GEAR LEVER, THE PAX DOOR BLEW OPEN EXPLOSIVELY. I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO RETURN AND LAND, AND LEFT THE GEAR DOWN (I THOUGHT). I CANNOT BE SURE, BUT I MAY HAVE MOVED THE LEVER UP, AND THEN, BEFORE THE GEAR COULD CYCLE, RETURNED IT TO THE DOWN POS. ON DOWNWIND I VISUALLY CONFIRMED A GREEN LIGHT AND LEVER IN THE DOWN POS. SO DID MY FRONT SEAT PAX, WHO HAD MOVED SO HE WAS FACING ME. ROLLING INTO BASE LEG, I AGAIN LOOKED AT THE GEAR INDICATOR AND SAW THE GREEN LIGHT AND HANDLE DOWN. AFTER THAT I DID NOT LOOK AT THE GEAR INDICATOR AGAIN, ALTHOUGH I SHOULD HAVE. MY PAX MOVED BACK TO FACE THE FRONT AGAIN. LNDG SEEMED NORMAL WITH A XWIND FROM THE LEFT. I BELIEVE I FELT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TOUCH FIRST AND THEN THE GEAR RETRACT INTO THE WELLS. WE FLOATED LONG ENOUGH FOR THE GEAR TO CYCLE COMPLETELY UP BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. I DECIDED NOT TO ATTEMPT A GAR. I DID NOT HEAR THE THROTTLE WARNING HORN, BUT I SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED IT WAS OPERATING. I HAD KEPT ENOUGH PWR ON THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE GONE OFF UNTIL THE FLARE, ANYWAY. WHEN WE STOPPED, THE GEAR HANDLE WAS NEUTRAL. WHAT BOTHERS ME IS I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. IF THE GEAR WAS UP, WHY DID I HAVE A GREEN LIGHT AND DOWN HANDLE, AND NOT HEAR THE HORN? (I WEAR A HEADSET, AND IT WAS VERY LOUD.) IF THE GEAR WAS OUT, WHICH I BELIEVE, WHY AND HOW DID IT RETRACT? I'M SURE I SAW THE LEVER DOWN AND A GREEN LIGHT, AND EVEN CALLED IT OUT LOUD. OBVIOUSLY, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE GEAR INDICATOR ON SHORT FINAL SO I COULD HAVE GONE AROUND IF IT HAD BEEN MOVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.