Narrative:

In returning on a VFR flight I was cleared to enter a visual right base from the north to runway 29R. At pattern elevation; with approach speed at 87 mph and flaps down a turn to final following a prior aircraft was made; I placed the gear selector down; and noted at about a half mile out that the prior aircraft had not exited the runway; and tower had not yet cleared me. I called tower asking if I was cleared to land and the answer came; 'yes; there is adequate separation.' I heard no gear horn; but I did not see three green as I flared. The aircraft settled to the runway level sliding straight ahead stopping. I immediately exited the aircraft having shut the fuel off closing the mixture and turning off the battery alternator and ignition. There was no fire or smoke; a little dust; and I stood on the runway awaiting assistance. There was no injury; in fact not unlike a normal landing! The flight had started about a half hour earlier after removing the aircraft from its hangar and preflight. The before start; taxi; checklists were completed and proceeded to the ramp; and with information bravo called for clearance to taxi. It was noted that all systems were functioning and three green lights with gear down were noted. Subsequently without event the flight proceeded to a nearby CTAF airport taking about fifteen minutes. I planned to use this uncontrolled field to do several takeoffs and landing to become familiar and current in the aircraft. On the first landing runway 33 I again (see preceding experience the day prior below) did not see three green lights; but no gear warning horn. Based on this same scenario the day prior; I continued and landed without event. Because of a change in winds I decided to use runway 15 for the next takeoff and landing. This was accomplished with the same experience; no green gear down lights; but also no gear up horn. Becoming uncomfortable with this circumstance I decided to return to my final destination for resolution of this discrepancy. The next landing as described above was gear up (they were actually partially extended; but seemingly not locked). The day prior; the aircraft had been taken out for a local first flight. The aircraft had been sitting in the owner's hangar for several months without activity. I had been asked to go out and fly it. Reviewing it and the records available on preflight all seemed excellent; and all went well until I was to land and I did not get the gear down indication. I asked the tower to try and visualize my gear and they suggested a low pass. They could not see for certain and suggested another pass at the parallel runway closer to the tower. I did notice as I turned crosswind to do that; that I could see my shadow on the ground; and I could see that the gear were indeed down. As I passed the tower I did not get a transmission from them. As I proceeded to a position to land as previously instructed; I further noticed now that the radios were failing explaining why I had not heard from the tower on my second pass; and I had no communications. I landed; held my position with no communications available; on the remote departure end of 29L ramp; and awaited an airport operations vehicle to escort me to the main ramp and my hangar. I now discovered that the problem was loss of battery power and alternator input. I was also noting the left gas gauge was intermittent; from empty to 3/8 full; another discrepancy. The electrical was corrected during the evening by re charging the battery; and all was well the next day as recounted above with good alternator function for the day's operation. I felt this had explained no gear indication; and of course the radio failures. Looking back; before flying the aircraft so long in storage; maintenance personnel should have been consulted and an inspection and surveyed of the aircraft for proper airworthiness made. My unfamiliarity with the aircraft was certainly a factor. The stress on final; of not being cleared for landing with another aircraft on the runway and no communication from tower regarding a clearance to land requiring my questioning served to distract and divert my attention from possibly executing a go round and another approach; yet nothing different regarding the gear would have changed except perhaps another low pass by the tower for assurance would have been an excellent choice!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A36 landed gear up after the pilot accepted the lack of a gear down indication as normal because on several previous successful landings he had also had no down and locked indication.

Narrative: In returning on a VFR flight I was cleared to enter a visual right base from the north to Runway 29R. At pattern elevation; with approach speed at 87 MPH and flaps down a turn to final following a prior aircraft was made; I placed the gear selector down; and noted at about a half mile out that the prior aircraft had not exited the runway; and Tower had not yet cleared me. I called Tower asking if I was cleared to land and the answer came; 'yes; there is adequate separation.' I heard no gear horn; but I did not see three green as I flared. The aircraft settled to the runway level sliding straight ahead stopping. I immediately exited the aircraft having shut the fuel off closing the mixture and turning off the battery alternator and ignition. There was no fire or smoke; a little dust; and I stood on the runway awaiting assistance. There was no injury; in fact not unlike a normal landing! The flight had started about a half hour earlier after removing the aircraft from its hangar and preflight. The before start; taxi; checklists were completed and proceeded to the ramp; and with information Bravo called for clearance to Taxi. It was noted that all systems were functioning and three green lights with gear down were noted. Subsequently without event the flight proceeded to a nearby CTAF airport taking about fifteen minutes. I planned to use this uncontrolled field to do several takeoffs and landing to become familiar and current in the aircraft. On the first landing Runway 33 I again (see preceding experience the day prior below) did not see three green lights; but no gear warning horn. Based on this same scenario the day prior; I continued and landed without event. Because of a change in winds I decided to use Runway 15 for the next takeoff and landing. This was accomplished with the same experience; no green gear down lights; but also no gear up horn. Becoming uncomfortable with this circumstance I decided to return to my final destination for resolution of this discrepancy. The next landing as described above was gear up (they were actually partially extended; but seemingly not locked). The day prior; the aircraft had been taken out for a local first flight. The aircraft had been sitting in the owner's hangar for several months without activity. I had been asked to go out and fly it. Reviewing it and the records available on preflight all seemed excellent; and all went well until I was to land and I did not get the gear down indication. I asked the Tower to try and visualize my gear and they suggested a low pass. They could not see for certain and suggested another pass at the parallel runway closer to the Tower. I did notice as I turned crosswind to do that; that I could see my shadow on the ground; and I could see that the gear were indeed down. As I passed the Tower I did not get a transmission from them. As I proceeded to a position to land as previously instructed; I further noticed now that the radios were failing explaining why I had not heard from the Tower on my second pass; and I had no communications. I landed; held my position with no communications available; on the remote departure end of 29L ramp; and awaited an airport operations vehicle to escort me to the main ramp and my hangar. I now discovered that the problem was loss of battery power and alternator input. I was also noting the left gas gauge was intermittent; from empty to 3/8 full; another discrepancy. The electrical was corrected during the evening by re charging the battery; and all was well the next day as recounted above with good alternator function for the day's operation. I felt this had explained no gear indication; and of course the radio failures. Looking back; before flying the aircraft so long in storage; maintenance personnel should have been consulted and an inspection and surveyed of the aircraft for proper airworthiness made. My unfamiliarity with the aircraft was certainly a factor. The stress on final; of not being cleared for landing with another aircraft on the runway and no communication from Tower regarding a clearance to land requiring my questioning served to distract and divert my attention from possibly executing a go round and another approach; yet nothing different regarding the gear would have changed except perhaps another low pass by the Tower for assurance would have been an excellent choice!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.