Small aircraft twin on training flight. Lowered gear for landing but upon touchdown gear collapsed.

Attributes
ACN	164540
Time
Date	199012
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : flg
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 875 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	164540
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

During a simulated single engine approach and landing, the student receiving instruction executed a gump check on base leg because we were about 1/5 mi from the end of the runway at most. The instrument followed the student through the gump check and verified 3 green at that time. After turning final, the student reached from the flap handle to the throttle and reduced power on the right engine. (Left engine was at simulated zero thrust). The student saw at about 1/2 mi out that he would be low so he moved his hand from the throttle shafts to the top of the throttles to add power on the right engine. At about 1/4 mi from the runway, the instrument looked toward the gear position indicators but could not see them because the student was wearing a very baggy coat with extremely thick sleeves. The instrument then assumed that since he saw 3 green on base, they would be there on final. During the flare as the student reduced power on the right engine T idle, a horn which had not been on to that point came on. Both the instrument and student thought it was the stall horn, until the propellers began striking the ground. I heard 2 beeps from the horn before contact with the runway. The student later said that as he moved his hand to the top of the throttle to add power, one of his fingers 'snagged' something but he paid no attention to it. From where his hand was, it is possible that he may have retracted them 1/2 mi out inadvertently. There were 3 people in the aircraft, all of which were pilots. We all heard no horn and saw warning lights until 1 second before impact. The tower reported seeing landing after we turned final. Part of the cause is the location of the gear position indicators. They are not readily visible from the instrument's seat when the student had his hand on the throttles. In conclusion, an apparent failure of the gear warning system combined with a lack of clearly visible gear indicator lights and an assumption that since we had 3 green on base, they were still down, caused an obviously avoidable gear up landing. Gear position indicators should be readily visible to all crew aboard, the gear warning system should be reliable. I have had trouble with the warning system on many terminals I have flown, and there is no substitution for checking for 3 green over the numbers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TWIN ON TRAINING FLT. LOWERED GEAR FOR LNDG BUT UPON TOUCHDOWN GEAR COLLAPSED.

Narrative: DURING A SIMULATED SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG, THE STUDENT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION EXECUTED A GUMP CHK ON BASE LEG BECAUSE WE WERE ABOUT 1/5 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY AT MOST. THE INSTR FOLLOWED THE STUDENT THROUGH THE GUMP CHK AND VERIFIED 3 GREEN AT THAT TIME. AFTER TURNING FINAL, THE STUDENT REACHED FROM THE FLAP HANDLE TO THE THROTTLE AND REDUCED PWR ON THE R ENG. (L ENG WAS AT SIMULATED ZERO THRUST). THE STUDENT SAW AT ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT THAT HE WOULD BE LOW SO HE MOVED HIS HAND FROM THE THROTTLE SHAFTS TO THE TOP OF THE THROTTLES TO ADD PWR ON THE R ENG. AT ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE RWY, THE INSTR LOOKED TOWARD THE GEAR POS INDICATORS BUT COULD NOT SEE THEM BECAUSE THE STUDENT WAS WEARING A VERY BAGGY COAT WITH EXTREMELY THICK SLEEVES. THE INSTR THEN ASSUMED THAT SINCE HE SAW 3 GREEN ON BASE, THEY WOULD BE THERE ON FINAL. DURING THE FLARE AS THE STUDENT REDUCED PWR ON THE R ENG T IDLE, A HORN WHICH HAD NOT BEEN ON TO THAT POINT CAME ON. BOTH THE INSTR AND STUDENT THOUGHT IT WAS THE STALL HORN, UNTIL THE PROPS BEGAN STRIKING THE GND. I HEARD 2 BEEPS FROM THE HORN BEFORE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE STUDENT LATER SAID THAT AS HE MOVED HIS HAND TO THE TOP OF THE THROTTLE TO ADD PWR, ONE OF HIS FINGERS 'SNAGGED' SOMETHING BUT HE PAID NO ATTN TO IT. FROM WHERE HIS HAND WAS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE MAY HAVE RETRACTED THEM 1/2 MI OUT INADVERTENTLY. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE IN THE ACFT, ALL OF WHICH WERE PLTS. WE ALL HEARD NO HORN AND SAW WARNING LIGHTS UNTIL 1 SEC BEFORE IMPACT. THE TWR RPTED SEEING LNDG AFTER WE TURNED FINAL. PART OF THE CAUSE IS THE LOCATION OF THE GEAR POS INDICATORS. THEY ARE NOT READILY VISIBLE FROM THE INSTR'S SEAT WHEN THE STUDENT HAD HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLES. IN CONCLUSION, AN APPARENT FAILURE OF THE GEAR WARNING SYS COMBINED WITH A LACK OF CLRLY VISIBLE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND AN ASSUMPTION THAT SINCE WE HAD 3 GREEN ON BASE, THEY WERE STILL DOWN, CAUSED AN OBVIOUSLY AVOIDABLE GEAR UP LNDG. GEAR POS INDICATORS SHOULD BE READILY VISIBLE TO ALL CREW ABOARD, THE GEAR WARNING SYS SHOULD BE RELIABLE. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE WARNING SYS ON MANY TERMINALS I HAVE FLOWN, AND THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION FOR CHKING FOR 3 GREEN OVER THE NUMBERS.

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.