Narrative:

Our flight originated at mry, VFR to oceano airport (L52). Upon arriving, I took note of the WX described above. The broken layer was directly over the field and became scattered about 1 NM inland. Also, the low sun and reflection from the ocean combined with the haze made runway acquisition difficult. Further, there was a helicopter in the pattern doing touch-and-goes. I entered a left downwind for runway 29 at 1400 ft, above the broken portion of the layer, lowered the landing gear and did the landing checklist. I turned to base, then final. After a few seconds without a runway or traffic in sight, I executed a go around and reported it to the helicopter traffic. I turned left to a downwind and considered going to another airport. Just then, a radio transmission indicated that if I fly to the mesa, then turn toward the trailer home park, I will be lined up with runway 29. I saw the mesa low and left and the trailer park over my left shoulder and decided to make a second attempt. During the left turn over the mesa, I thought I had lowered the gear, but was distraction by a traffic call from the helicopter. I directed my attention outside to acquire the runway and the traffic. At about 1 NM, I acquired the runway, reported my intent to land and lowered the flaps. I quickly scanned the panel for red lights then looked outside for the traffic, no red lights were noted. During the flare I heard scraping sounds and determined that a go around attempt might be dangerous at 60-65 mph as we may torque roll or have a propeller strike. I set it down gently, closed the throttle and mixture and slid to a stop where we evacuate/evacuationed. The gear warning horn did not sound when the throttle was closed. The difficulty of runway and traffic acquisition was enough of a distraction to stray me from normal procedures and the gear warning horn failure led to this unfortunate incident. Supplemental information from acn 523966: first, I failed to mention that after landing, I found the gear switch to be in the up position. In a way of recommendations, perhaps a test switch to ensure the gear warning horn is operational.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE33 PLT LANDED GEAR UP AT OCEANO, CA (L52).

Narrative: OUR FLT ORIGINATED AT MRY, VFR TO OCEANO ARPT (L52). UPON ARRIVING, I TOOK NOTE OF THE WX DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE BROKEN LAYER WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD AND BECAME SCATTERED ABOUT 1 NM INLAND. ALSO, THE LOW SUN AND REFLECTION FROM THE OCEAN COMBINED WITH THE HAZE MADE RWY ACQUISITION DIFFICULT. FURTHER, THERE WAS A HELI IN THE PATTERN DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES. I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29 AT 1400 FT, ABOVE THE BROKEN PORTION OF THE LAYER, LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR AND DID THE LNDG CHKLIST. I TURNED TO BASE, THEN FINAL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS WITHOUT A RWY OR TFC IN SIGHT, I EXECUTED A GAR AND RPTED IT TO THE HELI TFC. I TURNED L TO A DOWNWIND AND CONSIDERED GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT. JUST THEN, A RADIO XMISSION INDICATED THAT IF I FLY TO THE MESA, THEN TURN TOWARD THE TRAILER HOME PARK, I WILL BE LINED UP WITH RWY 29. I SAW THE MESA LOW AND L AND THE TRAILER PARK OVER MY L SHOULDER AND DECIDED TO MAKE A SECOND ATTEMPT. DURING THE L TURN OVER THE MESA, I THOUGHT I HAD LOWERED THE GEAR, BUT WAS DISTR BY A TFC CALL FROM THE HELI. I DIRECTED MY ATTN OUTSIDE TO ACQUIRE THE RWY AND THE TFC. AT ABOUT 1 NM, I ACQUIRED THE RWY, RPTED MY INTENT TO LAND AND LOWERED THE FLAPS. I QUICKLY SCANNED THE PANEL FOR RED LIGHTS THEN LOOKED OUTSIDE FOR THE TFC, NO RED LIGHTS WERE NOTED. DURING THE FLARE I HEARD SCRAPING SOUNDS AND DETERMINED THAT A GAR ATTEMPT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS AT 60-65 MPH AS WE MAY TORQUE ROLL OR HAVE A PROP STRIKE. I SET IT DOWN GENTLY, CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE AND SLID TO A STOP WHERE WE EVACED. THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED. THE DIFFICULTY OF RWY AND TFC ACQUISITION WAS ENOUGH OF A DISTR TO STRAY ME FROM NORMAL PROCS AND THE GEAR WARNING HORN FAILURE LED TO THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 523966: FIRST, I FAILED TO MENTION THAT AFTER LNDG, I FOUND THE GEAR SWITCH TO BE IN THE UP POS. IN A WAY OF RECOMMENDATIONS, PERHAPS A TEST SWITCH TO ENSURE THE GEAR WARNING HORN IS OPERATIONAL.

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.