Pilot fails to lower landing gear and tower notices when the aircraft is flaring for landing. Tower ...

Attributes
ACN	243975
Time
Date	199306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dxr
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 10 agl bound upper : 10
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dxr artcc : zid
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	243975
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I extended landing gear switch to down position and observed red 'up' light go out. Distrs due to traffic, a higher than normal approach and slip maneuver (no landing gear drag) caused me to omit a habitual gear/flap check on short final. An alert tower controller called a go around in the flare. Contributing causes: single green 'down' light of that vintage is located in the far lower left side of panel. The red light went out, green light failed to come on because the gear did not extend. 2 lights out are not conspicuous. Summary: malfunctioning switch and failure to perform thorough check of gear down and locked nearly resulted in an accident. A lesson learned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FAILS TO LOWER LNDG GEAR AND TWR NOTICES WHEN THE ACFT IS FLARING FOR LNDG. TWR DIRECTED A GAR.

Narrative: I EXTENDED LNDG GEAR SWITCH TO DOWN POS AND OBSERVED RED 'UP' LIGHT GO OUT. DISTRS DUE TO TFC, A HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH AND SLIP MANEUVER (NO LNDG GEAR DRAG) CAUSED ME TO OMIT A HABITUAL GEAR/FLAP CHK ON SHORT FINAL. AN ALERT TWR CTLR CALLED A GAR IN THE FLARE. CONTRIBUTING CAUSES: SINGLE GREEN 'DOWN' LIGHT OF THAT VINTAGE IS LOCATED IN THE FAR LOWER L SIDE OF PANEL. THE RED LIGHT WENT OUT, GREEN LIGHT FAILED TO COME ON BECAUSE THE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND. 2 LIGHTS OUT ARE NOT CONSPICUOUS. SUMMARY: MALFUNCTIONING SWITCH AND FAILURE TO PERFORM THOROUGH CHK OF GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. A LESSON LEARNED.

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.

Pilot fails to lower landing gear and tower notices when the aircraft is flaring for landing. Tower directed a go around.