Narrative:

On jul/xa/00 at approximately XA00, I was making an overhead approach to smo in a T34, going through my prelndg checklist. The procedure for an overhead is to fly the initial approach at 150 KIAS at 1900 ft MSL, cut the power over the numbers, turn to bleed off airspeed, full increase on mixture and propeller, check seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, canopy closed and locked, slow to 109 KIAS, and engage flaps and gear. When the power is reduced to idle, and the manifold pressure drops below 15 inches, the gear warning horn activates. The airspeed at this time is too fast to lower the gear. The normal procedure is to wait until 109 KIAS to lower the flaps and gear which normally occurs about 1/2 way through the break, at which point the landing checklist is completed. When I carry passenger, they are frequently uncomfortable with having the gear horn sounding during the approach, so I usually hit the gear horn silencing button during this part of an approach with a passenger on board. In this case, I silenced the gear horn so as not to alarm my passenger. However, during the approach rollout, my passenger asked me for some air, so I opened the canopy for some fresh air, and apparently missed putting the gear down. As I was executing my landing flare the tower told me to go around, but I was unable to comply because it was too late in the flare, with the power at idle and the airspeed too low to go around. The aircraft settled to the ground and skidded to a halt. I shut down all system and we exited the aircraft with a minimal amount of damage and no injuries. Silencing the warning horn on final approach in order to avoid alarming the passenger, in retrospect was a bad habit. In the future, I am going to alert my passenger verbally that they are going to hear a warning horn telling me to put my gear down, and not to be alarmed. Also, I am going to tell my passenger that I am going to turn on the 'pilot isolate' feature of the intercom system, and I will not be able to hear my passenger until I taxi off the active runway and clean up the airplane. This mishap will never happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH T34 LANDED GEAR UP DUE TO SILENCING THE GEAR WARNING HORN TO KEEP FROM ALARMING HIS PAX.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/00 AT APPROX XA00, I WAS MAKING AN OVERHEAD APCH TO SMO IN A T34, GOING THROUGH MY PRELNDG CHKLIST. THE PROC FOR AN OVERHEAD IS TO FLY THE INITIAL APCH AT 150 KIAS AT 1900 FT MSL, CUT THE PWR OVER THE NUMBERS, TURN TO BLEED OFF AIRSPD, FULL INCREASE ON MIXTURE AND PROP, CHK SEATBELTS, SHOULDER HARNESSES, CANOPY CLOSED AND LOCKED, SLOW TO 109 KIAS, AND ENGAGE FLAPS AND GEAR. WHEN THE PWR IS REDUCED TO IDLE, AND THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPS BELOW 15 INCHES, THE GEAR WARNING HORN ACTIVATES. THE AIRSPD AT THIS TIME IS TOO FAST TO LOWER THE GEAR. THE NORMAL PROC IS TO WAIT UNTIL 109 KIAS TO LOWER THE FLAPS AND GEAR WHICH NORMALLY OCCURS ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE BREAK, AT WHICH POINT THE LNDG CHKLIST IS COMPLETED. WHEN I CARRY PAX, THEY ARE FREQUENTLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HAVING THE GEAR HORN SOUNDING DURING THE APCH, SO I USUALLY HIT THE GEAR HORN SILENCING BUTTON DURING THIS PART OF AN APCH WITH A PAX ON BOARD. IN THIS CASE, I SILENCED THE GEAR HORN SO AS NOT TO ALARM MY PAX. HOWEVER, DURING THE APCH ROLLOUT, MY PAX ASKED ME FOR SOME AIR, SO I OPENED THE CANOPY FOR SOME FRESH AIR, AND APPARENTLY MISSED PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN. AS I WAS EXECUTING MY LNDG FLARE THE TWR TOLD ME TO GO AROUND, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LATE IN THE FLARE, WITH THE PWR AT IDLE AND THE AIRSPD TOO LOW TO GO AROUND. THE ACFT SETTLED TO THE GND AND SKIDDED TO A HALT. I SHUT DOWN ALL SYS AND WE EXITED THE ACFT WITH A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES. SILENCING THE WARNING HORN ON FINAL APCH IN ORDER TO AVOID ALARMING THE PAX, IN RETROSPECT WAS A BAD HABIT. IN THE FUTURE, I AM GOING TO ALERT MY PAX VERBALLY THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HEAR A WARNING HORN TELLING ME TO PUT MY GEAR DOWN, AND NOT TO BE ALARMED. ALSO, I AM GOING TO TELL MY PAX THAT I AM GOING TO TURN ON THE 'PLT ISOLATE' FEATURE OF THE INTERCOM SYS, AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR MY PAX UNTIL I TAXI OFF THE ACTIVE RWY AND CLEAN UP THE AIRPLANE. THIS MISHAP WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.