Narrative:

A propeller strike occurred during the landing portion of the solo training flight due to procedural issues. While on downwind practicing both short and soft field lndgs; I started the pre-landing checklists. I pulled power back to 15 inches manifold pressure and placed propeller full forward. I then placed gear handle in the down position and said 3 green. I do not actually remember verifying just saying 3 green. I then completed a normal pattern dropping in 1 notch of flaps on base and final. It should also be noted that there was light chop and gusty winds. I know I didn't verify the gear in the down position on the base leg due to talking to a jet landing on the crossing runway. While on final; I again went through the final checklist of propeller full forward and saying 3 green; but again I don't remember verifying gear down and locked. My approach for the short field landing was high and steep. I observed I was descending from 800-900 FPM; I added power to compensate; which would make me go long of my point (middle of the numbers 33). With gusty winds and the fact that I had already made a number of short field lndgs that day; I elected to continue the approach as a soft field landing. As I passed over the numbers I pulled power back to 10 inches manifold pressure to cushion the landing. The mains settled onto the runway softly. As I released back pressure on the yoke to let the nosewheel settle; I heard a thump. My first reaction was that I hit something. I pulled back on the yoke but the airspeed was already gone and the nose settled on the runway and the propeller started striking the ground. I immediately started an engine shutdown. I pulled throttle and mixture; turned off the master switch and magnetos; pulling the key from the ignition. As the plane slid to the right; I applied full left rudder to compensate and keep it on the runway. As soon as the plane was stopped I evacuate/evacuationed the airplane. After the mechanics arrived they pulled down on the tail of the aircraft to lift the nose and locked the nose gear down. I then crawled into the aircraft and collected my gear. While in the aircraft I verified that the gear handle was down by look and touch. I did not move the handle. Contributing factors to this are: failure to maintain/follow proper procedures. Overconfidence. Corrective actions: continued training. Verifying procedures multiple times while in-flight; especially in high distraction environments. Eliminate overconfidence (now completed due to accident). I have learned a lot from this experience. I have gotten overconfident and lax in my procedures of late. I plan on increasing my proficiency in procedures as well as my experience in the airplane through training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PILOT FAILED TO VERIFY THREE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. HE LANDED WITH THE NOSE GEAR UP BECAUSE OF COMPLACENCY AND TRAFFIC DISTRACTION.

Narrative: A PROP STRIKE OCCURRED DURING THE LNDG PORTION OF THE SOLO TRAINING FLT DUE TO PROCEDURAL ISSUES. WHILE ON DOWNWIND PRACTICING BOTH SHORT AND SOFT FIELD LNDGS; I STARTED THE PRE-LNDG CHKLISTS. I PULLED PWR BACK TO 15 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND PLACED PROP FULL FORWARD. I THEN PLACED GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POS AND SAID 3 GREEN. I DO NOT ACTUALLY REMEMBER VERIFYING JUST SAYING 3 GREEN. I THEN COMPLETED A NORMAL PATTERN DROPPING IN 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS ON BASE AND FINAL. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THERE WAS LIGHT CHOP AND GUSTY WINDS. I KNOW I DIDN'T VERIFY THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POS ON THE BASE LEG DUE TO TALKING TO A JET LNDG ON THE XING RWY. WHILE ON FINAL; I AGAIN WENT THROUGH THE FINAL CHKLIST OF PROP FULL FORWARD AND SAYING 3 GREEN; BUT AGAIN I DON'T REMEMBER VERIFYING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. MY APCH FOR THE SHORT FIELD LNDG WAS HIGH AND STEEP. I OBSERVED I WAS DSNDING FROM 800-900 FPM; I ADDED PWR TO COMPENSATE; WHICH WOULD MAKE ME GO LONG OF MY POINT (MIDDLE OF THE NUMBERS 33). WITH GUSTY WINDS AND THE FACT THAT I HAD ALREADY MADE A NUMBER OF SHORT FIELD LNDGS THAT DAY; I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH AS A SOFT FIELD LNDG. AS I PASSED OVER THE NUMBERS I PULLED PWR BACK TO 10 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO CUSHION THE LNDG. THE MAINS SETTLED ONTO THE RWY SOFTLY. AS I RELEASED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO LET THE NOSEWHEEL SETTLE; I HEARD A THUMP. MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT I HIT SOMETHING. I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE BUT THE AIRSPD WAS ALREADY GONE AND THE NOSE SETTLED ON THE RWY AND THE PROP STARTED STRIKING THE GND. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED AN ENG SHUTDOWN. I PULLED THROTTLE AND MIXTURE; TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND MAGNETOS; PULLING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. AS THE PLANE SLID TO THE R; I APPLIED FULL L RUDDER TO COMPENSATE AND KEEP IT ON THE RWY. AS SOON AS THE PLANE WAS STOPPED I EVACED THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THE MECHS ARRIVED THEY PULLED DOWN ON THE TAIL OF THE ACFT TO LIFT THE NOSE AND LOCKED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. I THEN CRAWLED INTO THE ACFT AND COLLECTED MY GEAR. WHILE IN THE ACFT I VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN BY LOOK AND TOUCH. I DID NOT MOVE THE HANDLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ARE: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN/FOLLOW PROPER PROCS. OVERCONFIDENCE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: CONTINUED TRAINING. VERIFYING PROCS MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE INFLT; ESPECIALLY IN HIGH DISTR ENVIRONMENTS. ELIMINATE OVERCONFIDENCE (NOW COMPLETED DUE TO ACCIDENT). I HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. I HAVE GOTTEN OVERCONFIDENT AND LAX IN MY PROCS OF LATE. I PLAN ON INCREASING MY PROFICIENCY IN PROCS AS WELL AS MY EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE THROUGH TRAINING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.