Narrative:

On the date and time shown above I did unintentionally operate an airplane in a manner that was not safe. I had performed several instrument approachs to two different airports under day VFR conditions without a hood or safety pilot, just to experiment with the equipment and get the 'feel' of the airplane, and was doing the last approach of the day: a simulated single-engine ILS. I simulated single-engine operation by retarding the throttle only, and advised the tower that I would be full-stop. I intercepted the localizer at the OM and was distracted at the marker by the task of getting on course and GS. My major failure was to retard the throttle a bit at the marker to initiate a descent instead of leaving the throttle and dropping the gear. In the end, I forgot the gear until a pilot that was holding short of the runway that I was to land on said (on the radio) 'landing gear.' I initiated an immediate go around, advised the tower of the go around, and flew the pattern to complete the flight with a normal landing. I allowed myself to become distracted by the change in performance of the aircraft due to a lack of thrust, and by intercepting the localizer at the OM instead of outside the OM. My distraction got me out of the rhythm of always doing a pre-landing checklist at the marker, and a gumps on short final. This could have been the most expensive lesson of my life, and practically could have ended my flying career. Instead, I have another chance -- that I am determined not to waste.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C340 PLT PRACTICING A SINGLE ENG INST APCH FORGOT TO EXTEND HIS LNDG GEAR. ANOTHER PLT ADVISED THE RPTR AS HE APCHED TOUCHDOWN AND THE RPTR WENT AROUND.

Narrative: ON THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN ABOVE I DID UNINTENTIONALLY OPERATE AN AIRPLANE IN A MANNER THAT WAS NOT SAFE. I HAD PERFORMED SEVERAL INST APCHS TO TWO DIFFERENT ARPTS UNDER DAY VFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A HOOD OR SAFETY PLT, JUST TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE EQUIP AND GET THE 'FEEL' OF THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS DOING THE LAST APCH OF THE DAY: A SIMULATED SINGLE-ENG ILS. I SIMULATED SINGLE-ENG OP BY RETARDING THE THROTTLE ONLY, AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT I WOULD BE FULL-STOP. I INTERCEPTED THE LOC AT THE OM AND WAS DISTRACTED AT THE MARKER BY THE TASK OF GETTING ON COURSE AND GS. MY MAJOR FAILURE WAS TO RETARD THE THROTTLE A BIT AT THE MARKER TO INITIATE A DSCNT INSTEAD OF LEAVING THE THROTTLE AND DROPPING THE GEAR. IN THE END, I FORGOT THE GEAR UNTIL A PLT THAT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY THAT I WAS TO LAND ON SAID (ON THE RADIO) 'LNDG GEAR.' I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE GAR, ADVISED THE TWR OF THE GAR, AND FLEW THE PATTERN TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITH A NORMAL LNDG. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY THE CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT DUE TO A LACK OF THRUST, AND BY INTERCEPTING THE LOC AT THE OM INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE THE OM. MY DISTR GOT ME OUT OF THE RHYTHM OF ALWAYS DOING A PRE-LNDG CHKLIST AT THE MARKER, AND A GUMPS ON SHORT FINAL. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE LESSON OF MY LIFE, AND PRACTICALLY COULD HAVE ENDED MY FLYING CAREER. INSTEAD, I HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE -- THAT I AM DETERMINED NOT TO WASTE.

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.