LA4 gear up landing. Pilot attributes incident to traffic distraction and lack of gear warning syste...

Attributes
ACN	638619
Time
Date	200411
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ded.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	LA-4 A/B Buccaneer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 14700 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	638619
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : gear up landing non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on base leg to final when the second aircraft called on the radio announcing their position on a practice VOR approach. The approach was to runway 23 and the runway in use was runway 5. I called the aircraft to verify that they had me in sight on final. After the short exchange on the radio, they continued to fly the missed approach and I continued the short final approach to a gear-up landing. Contributing factors: 1) the lake aircraft does not have a gear warning system. 2) the radio conversation and looking for the traffic approaching the opposite end of the runway, interrupted my approach check sequence. 3) cockpit lighting in the lake around the flap and gear control is marginal. Corrective actions: 1) install an after market gear warning system. 2) improve interior lighting in aircraft. Human performance considerations: 1) I should have extended my approach pattern or made a go around until conflict with traffic was resolved. This would have given me more time to review my checklist. 2) this was a 'night' landing currency flight for this aircraft. The engine is on top of the fuselage and the fuselage has a boat type keel, therefore, minor skin damage was the result of the gear-up mishap.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LA4 GEAR UP LNDG. PLT ATTRIBUTES INCIDENT TO TFC DISTR AND LACK OF GEAR WARNING SYS.

Narrative: I WAS ON BASE LEG TO FINAL WHEN THE SECOND ACFT CALLED ON THE RADIO ANNOUNCING THEIR POS ON A PRACTICE VOR APCH. THE APCH WAS TO RWY 23 AND THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 5. I CALLED THE ACFT TO VERIFY THAT THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT ON FINAL. AFTER THE SHORT EXCHANGE ON THE RADIO, THEY CONTINUED TO FLY THE MISSED APCH AND I CONTINUED THE SHORT FINAL APCH TO A GEAR-UP LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE LAKE ACFT DOES NOT HAVE A GEAR WARNING SYS. 2) THE RADIO CONVERSATION AND LOOKING FOR THE TFC APCHING THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY, INTERRUPTED MY APCH CHK SEQUENCE. 3) COCKPIT LIGHTING IN THE LAKE AROUND THE FLAP AND GEAR CTL IS MARGINAL. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) INSTALL AN AFTER MARKET GEAR WARNING SYS. 2) IMPROVE INTERIOR LIGHTING IN ACFT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: 1) I SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED MY APCH PATTERN OR MADE A GAR UNTIL CONFLICT WITH TFC WAS RESOLVED. THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME MORE TIME TO REVIEW MY CHKLIST. 2) THIS WAS A 'NIGHT' LNDG CURRENCY FLT FOR THIS ACFT. THE ENG IS ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE AND THE FUSELAGE HAS A BOAT TYPE KEEL, THEREFORE, MINOR SKIN DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF THE GEAR-UP MISHAP.

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.

LA4 gear up landing. Pilot attributes incident to traffic distraction and lack of gear warning system.