Narrative:

Pilot was on base for close-in approach to runway 12R with gear down, checklist complete, 1500 ft MSL. Resequenced to #2 behind an MD80 on 4 mi final. To avoid wake turbulence and maintain interval, pilot retracted gear and turned downwind to get behind the MD80, climbing about 500 ft to avoid wake turbulence. Pilot turned to final between the MD80 and several other aircraft further out on final, landing both runway 12R and runway 12L, as instructed. Pilot repeated checklist and reinitiated gear switch, proceeding down final at normal power settings for gear down descent with 1/4 flaps, 16-17 inches of manifold pressure, 2500 RPM. After passing middle marker on GS, pilot turned on landing light on nose strut and saw light. Pilot then heard beeping tone of inner marker and retarded throttle for flare. Sound of gear horn, if it occurred, was obscured by tone of inner marker, which is similar in tone and pitch to gear horn. Noise canceling headset was being worn. Pilot and passenger both recall that pilot manually checked gear switch on final after landing light activated. Impacted runway centerline, full flaps, gear up. Pilot believes contributing factors to incident include: resequencing out of short final, similarity in tone between gear horn and inner marker of CAT ii approach, possible influence of noise- canceling headset on obscuring gear horn, possible gear switch malfunction or hang-up on a detent in completely extended position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there has not been any malfunction of the gear extension or switch system that would cause the gear to stay up. After further review of the circumstances, he believes that he may have put the flaps full down during the last gear down switch check instead of the gear. He believes that the reason that he did not hear the gear was due to the inner marker sound of the CAT ii ILS is similar sounding and that he always has the ILS on for positive guidance. In addition, he did not see the green gear down light since he had it dimmed to the lowest level. He also stated that he was an experienced beech bonanza instructor and therefore has more than average knowledge of that type of aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH BONANZA BE35 LANDED GEAR UP CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PROP, ENG AND LOWER FUSELAGE SKIN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. RPTR BELIEVES THAT HE MISTOOK THE GEAR SWITCH FOR THE FLAP SWITCH AND THOUGHT THE GEAR WARNING HORN WAS THE SOUND OF THE CAT II INNER MARKER BEACON. IN ADDITION, HE HAD THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT IN THE LOW DIM SETTING.

Narrative: PLT WAS ON BASE FOR CLOSE-IN APCH TO RWY 12R WITH GEAR DOWN, CHKLIST COMPLETE, 1500 FT MSL. RESEQUENCED TO #2 BEHIND AN MD80 ON 4 MI FINAL. TO AVOID WAKE TURB AND MAINTAIN INTERVAL, PLT RETRACTED GEAR AND TURNED DOWNWIND TO GET BEHIND THE MD80, CLBING ABOUT 500 FT TO AVOID WAKE TURB. PLT TURNED TO FINAL BTWN THE MD80 AND SEVERAL OTHER ACFT FURTHER OUT ON FINAL, LNDG BOTH RWY 12R AND RWY 12L, AS INSTRUCTED. PLT REPEATED CHKLIST AND REINITIATED GEAR SWITCH, PROCEEDING DOWN FINAL AT NORMAL PWR SETTINGS FOR GEAR DOWN DSCNT WITH 1/4 FLAPS, 16-17 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE, 2500 RPM. AFTER PASSING MIDDLE MARKER ON GS, PLT TURNED ON LNDG LIGHT ON NOSE STRUT AND SAW LIGHT. PLT THEN HEARD BEEPING TONE OF INNER MARKER AND RETARDED THROTTLE FOR FLARE. SOUND OF GEAR HORN, IF IT OCCURRED, WAS OBSCURED BY TONE OF INNER MARKER, WHICH IS SIMILAR IN TONE AND PITCH TO GEAR HORN. NOISE CANCELING HEADSET WAS BEING WORN. PLT AND PAX BOTH RECALL THAT PLT MANUALLY CHKED GEAR SWITCH ON FINAL AFTER LNDG LIGHT ACTIVATED. IMPACTED RWY CTRLINE, FULL FLAPS, GEAR UP. PLT BELIEVES CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO INCIDENT INCLUDE: RESEQUENCING OUT OF SHORT FINAL, SIMILARITY IN TONE BTWN GEAR HORN AND INNER MARKER OF CAT II APCH, POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF NOISE- CANCELING HEADSET ON OBSCURING GEAR HORN, POSSIBLE GEAR SWITCH MALFUNCTION OR HANG-UP ON A DETENT IN COMPLETELY EXTENDED POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY MALFUNCTION OF THE GEAR EXTENSION OR SWITCH SYS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE GEAR TO STAY UP. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE BELIEVES THAT HE MAY HAVE PUT THE FLAPS FULL DOWN DURING THE LAST GEAR DOWN SWITCH CHK INSTEAD OF THE GEAR. HE BELIEVES THAT THE REASON THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE GEAR WAS DUE TO THE INNER MARKER SOUND OF THE CAT II ILS IS SIMILAR SOUNDING AND THAT HE ALWAYS HAS THE ILS ON FOR POSITIVE GUIDANCE. IN ADDITION, HE DID NOT SEE THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHT SINCE HE HAD IT DIMMED TO THE LOWEST LEVEL. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS AN EXPERIENCED BEECH BONANZA INSTRUCTOR AND THEREFORE HAS MORE THAN AVERAGE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT TYPE OF ACFT.

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.