Narrative:

On jan/thu/02, at approximately XA00, the following incident occurred at livermore airport. Both pilots failed to confirm gear down and locked. Aircraft operated by private pilot and cfii. The student gives the following account. This occurred during our third circuit in the pattern at lvk. Both runways 7L and 7R were active. The first approach was uneventful, we entered on a 45 degrees from the northeast and executed a touch and go on runway 7L. We remained in the pattern and were cleared for the option, #4 to land. The tower amended that clearance and asked us to come to a full stop, clear runway 7L, taxi back, remain on his frequency and hold short of the runway. We were told we would have to wait about 4 mins. Here we witnessed a go around in progress because an aircraft had not yet cleared the active. The tower cleared us to depart runway 7L without delay. After departure I held the runway heading. My instructor advised me of traffic below and to our right drifting towards us, he took the control wheel and banked left. I resumed control and proceeded straight forward until reaching 800 ft AGL then turned crosswind. The tower informed us of traffic entering on a 45 degrees, I responded, 'looking for traffic.' we turned downwind in the pattern. We were cleared to land, #3. Due to the volume of traffic, all downwind and final legs were extremely long. On each circuit, approximately abeam the end of the runway, we were given our assignment for landing. I vigilantly counted out proceeding aircraft so that I could identify the aircraft I would follow. Due to the distance between each aircraft and sunny skies, this was not an easy task. On long final my instructor discussed soft-field landing technique and how he wanted me to put it on the numbers. On short final we discussed GS in reference to the PAPI. Without the gear lever in the full down position, we landed the aircraft gear up. Contributing factors: failure to use checklist, high volume of traffic in the pattern, instruction during critical phase of flight. Landing gear warning horn inaudible while headsets are worn, low time in complex aircraft, recency of flight with instructor (last time flew with instructor nov/thu/01, last time working in pattern with instructor oct/tue/01). Very little pattern work in this aircraft, leaking magnetic compass. No injuries. Supplemental information from acn 534762: we were now turning downwind and I focused on the traffic while I felt very comfortable with the private pilot flying the aircraft (I was her instrument instructor). I continued to rely on the private pilot to run the approach as she was already checked out and signed off to fly this aircraft. I let my guard down, mainly because I had such confidence in this pilot. And the private pilot always does the checklist twice on final. Now, no matter who I fly with I will always do my own check -- instructing or not. For private pilot flying the approach the distraction began on turning downwind, looking for that traffic coming in on the 45 degrees, that would be the approximately time when the gear would be lowered. I should have clearly said 'you continue to fly the aircraft and let me worry about the traffic' -- I believe the pilot was also looking for traffic and got distracted. It was the continual distraction with very busy traffic that led to the gear up landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177 TRAINING FLT IS LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP BY THE 2 PLTS ONBOARD AT LVK, CA.

Narrative: ON JAN/THU/02, AT APPROX XA00, THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT OCCURRED AT LIVERMORE ARPT. BOTH PLTS FAILED TO CONFIRM GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. ACFT OPERATED BY PVT PLT AND CFII. THE STUDENT GIVES THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT. THIS OCCURRED DURING OUR THIRD CIRCUIT IN THE PATTERN AT LVK. BOTH RWYS 7L AND 7R WERE ACTIVE. THE FIRST APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL, WE ENTERED ON A 45 DEGS FROM THE NE AND EXECUTED A TOUCH AND GO ON RWY 7L. WE REMAINED IN THE PATTERN AND WERE CLRED FOR THE OPTION, #4 TO LAND. THE TWR AMENDED THAT CLRNC AND ASKED US TO COME TO A FULL STOP, CLR RWY 7L, TAXI BACK, REMAIN ON HIS FREQ AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 4 MINS. HERE WE WITNESSED A GAR IN PROGRESS BECAUSE AN ACFT HAD NOT YET CLRED THE ACTIVE. THE TWR CLRED US TO DEPART RWY 7L WITHOUT DELAY. AFTER DEP I HELD THE RWY HEADING. MY INSTRUCTOR ADVISED ME OF TFC BELOW AND TO OUR R DRIFTING TOWARDS US, HE TOOK THE CTL WHEEL AND BANKED L. I RESUMED CTL AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT FORWARD UNTIL REACHING 800 FT AGL THEN TURNED XWIND. THE TWR INFORMED US OF TFC ENTERING ON A 45 DEGS, I RESPONDED, 'LOOKING FOR TFC.' WE TURNED DOWNWIND IN THE PATTERN. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND, #3. DUE TO THE VOLUME OF TFC, ALL DOWNWIND AND FINAL LEGS WERE EXTREMELY LONG. ON EACH CIRCUIT, APPROX ABEAM THE END OF THE RWY, WE WERE GIVEN OUR ASSIGNMENT FOR LNDG. I VIGILANTLY COUNTED OUT PROCEEDING ACFT SO THAT I COULD IDENT THE ACFT I WOULD FOLLOW. DUE TO THE DISTANCE BTWN EACH ACFT AND SUNNY SKIES, THIS WAS NOT AN EASY TASK. ON LONG FINAL MY INSTRUCTOR DISCUSSED SOFT-FIELD LNDG TECHNIQUE AND HOW HE WANTED ME TO PUT IT ON THE NUMBERS. ON SHORT FINAL WE DISCUSSED GS IN REF TO THE PAPI. WITHOUT THE GEAR LEVER IN THE FULL DOWN POS, WE LANDED THE ACFT GEAR UP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FAILURE TO USE CHKLIST, HIGH VOLUME OF TFC IN THE PATTERN, INSTRUCTION DURING CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. LNDG GEAR WARNING HORN INAUDIBLE WHILE HEADSETS ARE WORN, LOW TIME IN COMPLEX ACFT, RECENCY OF FLT WITH INSTRUCTOR (LAST TIME FLEW WITH INSTRUCTOR NOV/THU/01, LAST TIME WORKING IN PATTERN WITH INSTRUCTOR OCT/TUE/01). VERY LITTLE PATTERN WORK IN THIS ACFT, LEAKING MAGNETIC COMPASS. NO INJURIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534762: WE WERE NOW TURNING DOWNWIND AND I FOCUSED ON THE TFC WHILE I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE PVT PLT FLYING THE ACFT (I WAS HER INST INSTRUCTOR). I CONTINUED TO RELY ON THE PVT PLT TO RUN THE APCH AS SHE WAS ALREADY CHKED OUT AND SIGNED OFF TO FLY THIS ACFT. I LET MY GUARD DOWN, MAINLY BECAUSE I HAD SUCH CONFIDENCE IN THIS PLT. AND THE PVT PLT ALWAYS DOES THE CHKLIST TWICE ON FINAL. NOW, NO MATTER WHO I FLY WITH I WILL ALWAYS DO MY OWN CHK -- INSTRUCTING OR NOT. FOR PVT PLT FLYING THE APCH THE DISTR BEGAN ON TURNING DOWNWIND, LOOKING FOR THAT TFC COMING IN ON THE 45 DEGS, THAT WOULD BE THE APPROX TIME WHEN THE GEAR WOULD BE LOWERED. I SHOULD HAVE CLRLY SAID 'YOU CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT AND LET ME WORRY ABOUT THE TFC' -- I BELIEVE THE PLT WAS ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC AND GOT DISTRACTED. IT WAS THE CONTINUAL DISTR WITH VERY BUSY TFC THAT LED TO THE GEAR UP LNDG.

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.