This April 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Beech A36TC. Injuries: None. Location: Roseburg, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, while on the downwind leg for landing he used the airplane’s checklist, but deferred putting the landing gear down. He did not refer to the checklist again. The pilot said his attention was focused outside the cockpit, and he forgot to lower the landing gear. The airplane came down on its belly and slid to a stop.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to follow the landing checklist, which resulted in a gear up landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention.
For more information: NTSB.gov
It’s an A-36, not an airliner. A landing checklist? Was the pilot new to the plane? Maybe I’m missing something? My technique for a normal traffic pattern is put the gear down to add drag nearing the traffic pattern. You can feel the drag increase. Turn base..re-.check gear down. Turn final…re-check gear down. For a straight-in, re-check gear down about one mile out. Re-check gear down about 1/4 out. What does it take to re-check the gear?…just a one second glance. Maybe I was trained in a different time period when the instructors would tell you to put the book down and fly the plane. That landing checklist was already burned into your brain cells and you didn’t actually have to have it in your hand.