What's the closest you've come to landing gear up?

[BigTex]

You are obviously a very high quality person, Lacee. Thank you for your contributions here.

Jim

I was there and Laccee was a real stand up guy about the incident.  I learned a lot from the way he carried himself and only wish I would be able to do the same in a similar situation.

[Matt Michael]

Matt,

While I appreciate Byron thoughts I have, do and SHOULD suffer shame, humiliation & I DID (along with my insurance company) suffer the COST.... & while I surely don't like it that is Ok.  I think that too often many don't take responsibility for their actions or inactions as they should, and that is a much bigger problem to all of us.  Byron and several other very good CFI's along with many Mooney Pilots with years and significant number of hours of experience were there at the training with me and ALL were very kind to me, much better than I deserved.  To tell the truth after the incident I so wanted just to go back to the Hotel and hide but decided I needed to complete the remaining class room training activities and get as much as I could out of the opportunity, heck I was already there and no airplane to get home in!  There are always a few folks that are should we say less than understanding and those like me with "that will never happen to me I'm not that bad or stupid of a pilot attitude", a little humble pie may be just what is needed.   I still believe the CFI is a good man and we both made mistakes.  The CFI was on duty and was paid if I understand it correctly and I was at least one of the PIC if that makes sense!   Notice the AND not the but!  If you or anyone else learn anything from this then it will have some value!  Thanks again for your thoughts but a little shame, humiliation & embarrassment can be a benefit if we let it or worse yet NO benefit if we don't accept it, now that would be a true waste!

 

Fly Safe

Rocket On...

Clearly I don't understand the nature of the "student" instructor relationship or other arrangements or agreements in the training scenario in which you had the gear up accident.  I've been under the impression that the instructor is the command pilot in a training exercise and doesn't normally share PIC responsibility, especially during a simulated emergency orchestrated by the instructor in which the student is learning and isn't necessarily expected to perform perfectly.  I only have a few hours in Mooneys and don't hold an airplane instructor rating so I don't pretend to be an expert here.  In my 20 years of teaching in gliders and motorgliders I've made plenty of mistakes but I've been fortunate to avoid damaging anyone or anything.  If I had, or someday do, I'd expect to take full responsibility including financial.  I'd want my student to say not that they suffered humiliation and a giant insurance bill but that they once experienced a very instructive if inconvenient actual mishap thanks to a questionable instructor who at least took the credit and paid the bill.  

[kerry]

I came close this last weekend while doing my BFR.  My CFI asked to take over the controls so he see how a mooney flys.  He was setting up for a landing and told me to take over on base to final.  Through me off and I wasn't paying attention to the gear horn.  Just before landing the CFI said "shouldn't you put your wheels down".  Did I feel stupid.

[RocketAviator]

I came close this last weekend while doing my BFR.  My CFI asked to take over the controls so he see how a mooney flys.  He was setting up for a landing and told me to take over on base to final.  Through me off and I wasn't paying attention to the gear horn.  Just before landing the CFI said "shouldn't you put your wheels down".  Did I feel stupid.

Kerry,

I am fully convinced that distractions of any type but specifically from an instructor can have great consequences especially if the instructor does not catch the error, thankfully they usually do as was your case.  Just goes to show how easy it is to get distracted.  I have established some strict written & verbally reviewed rules for my cockpit and ALL occupants prior to take off that include a firm and significant discussion with the instructor specifically on distractions by the instructor.

Fly safe, glad yours worked out ok and hope it was a great lesson,

Lacee

[jrwilson]

17 years old, doing a 20C checkout/complex endorsement at a local flying club. The instructor/owner intentionally distracted me/task saturated in the pattern enough to forget the gear. On short final, he asked about the gear. Terrified my little teenaged pea brain, but a good lesson which I haven't forgotten...yet

[Hector]

Interestingly enough, I was coming back to my home field this weekend after a short trip and was asked to keep my speed up for a King Air on a long final. I locked the J-bar in the gear down position as I entered the downwind leg and shortly thereafter turned to base where I typically repeat the GUMPS checklist. As I checked the J-bar again I gave it a tug as I always do and for the first time, and quite to my surprise, it popped out of the lock! I pushed it back into the locked position and this time I gave it more than just a tug but it was firmly locked! Checked it on final like 5 times again and it was firmly locked. After all of this I came to the conclusion that I probably never actually got it into the locked position in downwind as I don't recall seeing or checking for a green light because I was rushing to get set up to fly a tight pattern for that King Air. At least my habit of repeating GUMPS on base and final saved the day.

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[isaacpr7]

  After almost five years of only flying helicopters I purchased my first airplane (68C) and got checked out by a CFI. I flew it for about another 5 hours or so and wanted to have it checked out by a MX due to some engine roughness. As I was on final approach at the airport where the MX was I was distracted by a wind gust and decided to do a go around.  As I was on my downwind became confused on what position the gear was because I could not remember if I moved the manual handle on the upwind but I knew the manual gear handle would have to move at some point and I did.  I placed it in the forward position before landing but did not check for a green light because my brain was reasuring me that it was okay, knowing that the mechanical input by my hand into the bar had to have the gear in place; however, the bar was not completely locked in place (had I checked the light I would have known that) and as soon as the gear touched ground the johnston bar ejected towards the rear. I noticed it out of the corner of my eye as I was focused outside so I immediately began a go around. As I aplied full power the aircraft sank some more because I had full flaps and at this point was behind the power curve. I did not want to put the nose down because I was already too low but having the nose up caused it to sink some more before it began a climp. I heard a suttle scraping sound (the non-retract step lightly kissing the ground) for about three seconds before the climb. As I was about ten feet from the ground I remember being concerned whether or not I had struck the prop on the ground and bent my blade. This was a concern to me because I was not sure if the prop would be able to produce enough thrust to continue my climb so I decided to throttle back and put it on the ground (plenty of runway left).  I Taxied the aircraft onto the grass so that I could check it out and was relieved that nothing on the airframe contacted the ground except a light scrape at the bottom of the non-retract step. As I was walking around the front to hop back in I noticed the prop had a bend of about 1/2 inch at the tips

This was a 6k dollar insurance claim and an experience I will never want to go through again.

 

  Now, not only do I complete my GUMPS check on downwind, base, and final, but I also say the words "forward and down" (johnston bar in the forward position when I am comming down) before I land to take remove any confusion as to what position the bar has to be in. Last but not least, I make sure that the light is on and ensure the gear is locked by jerking it up, down, and back on each leg of the pattern. I beleive this was an expensive lesson but I can guarantee it will never happen again (at least not due to pilot error) because it is all I will be able to think about on every approach for the rest of my life (GEAR FORWARD AND DOWN with a LIGHT).

[BigTex]

Interestingly enough, I was coming back to my home field this weekend after a short trip and was asked to keep my speed up for a King Air on a long final. I locked the J-bar in the gear down position as I entered the downwind leg and shortly thereafter turned to base where I typically repeat the GUMPS checklist. As I checked the J-bar again I gave it a tug as I always do and for the first time, and quite to my surprise, it popped out of the lock! I pushed it back into the locked position and this time I gave it more than just a tug but it was firmly locked! Checked it on final like 5 times again and it was firmly locked. After all of this I came to the conclusion that I probably never actually got it into the locked position in downwind as I don't recall seeing or checking for a green light because I was rushing to get set up to fly a tight pattern for that King Air. At least my habit of repeating GUMPS on base and final saved the day.

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That happened to me as well a few months ago as I was turning final at my home airport. It's pretty disturbing to see it pop out. Now I give it a tug at least twice after it's supposed to be down and locked.

[carusoam]

Always check your work. The lock will click in place. Get the click or it's not locked.

The receiving block at the top has a tendency to wear into an oval shape.

This wear can lead to the fealing of being in place, but not being locked.

Many old receiving blocks have been replaced, some are still original.

To see how worn yours is... Take a photo while the gear is up, the hole should be round. It's probably not...

Replacement receiving blocks are available.

This comes from my '65C experience... My gear would have a tendency of not locking on it's own...

Best regards,

-a-

[phecksel]

I had one flight, 40+ kt headwind on final approach.  I intentionally kept the gear up to maintain some reasonable GS.  Several times said to the ex, please remind me to put the gear down.  About 750 AGL, the gear went down, and she said down and locked?  I didn't like breaking my normal behavior, but after almost 5 hours of flight, I was ready to be on the ground too