Forget to Up the landing gear

[ncdmtb]

Today I flew with two of my sons. My eldest wants to become a pilot. He has had lessons i.e. dual in gliders and C-150/172s. He did the takeoff (together with me). I was so focused on his rotation speed, climb speed, rpm etc that I forgot to retract the gear. After about 30min of flying (at slow speeds ;-) I realized I forgot to retract the gear.

Has this happened to others? This is the first time this has happend to me. Typically I pull shortly after T/O.

Once I realized the "bar was up" (I was wondering why we were so slow, but I attributed it to the strong winds which I had from my weather briefing), I slowed down to about a 120KIAS and retracted (Johnson bar, two hands needed ;-) May I have done damage? Anything I should check in particular on my next preflight?

Has this happended to others? Any best practices to avoid in future?

[AndyFromCB]

Beats doing the opposite ;-)

[ncdmtb]

That's exactly what went through my mind when I realized what I did (or rather did not "do")

[Jamie]

Nope. Not the gear, anyway. But the flaps...

[rbridges]

Nope. Not the gear, anyway. But the flaps...

 

I'm guilty of forgetting the flaps a time or two.  With 180hp, landing gear is like a boat anchor.

[201er]

Happened a couple of times to me. Two were a system failure and it usually took me 10 minutes of climbing terribly or leveling out and getting no speed to look into it and realize that the breaker popped and then to realize that meant the emergency gear extension lever came undone. One time I forgot to retract the gear on a really hectic missed approach in actual... at some point in the lousy climb I thought of it. A bit scary though in case there were obstacles or something serious.

 

With your manual gear what you gotta watch out for is not putting the gear up when coming back to land while thinking you're putting it down!

[N201MKTurbo]

It goes like this:

 

I take off, establish the climb, select the route in the GPS engage the autopilot, turn on some talk radio on the entertainment system...

 

Get to cruise altitude, level off, reset power and mixture and settle back for the ride home.

 

I look at the airspeed and it is unusually low. I cock my head sideways and wonder what is wrong?

 

Then I see the gear handle....

[Jamie]

Heh. Maybe the gear handle should be labeled "MOONEY" - "CESSNA".

 

[N201MKTurbo]

 the emergency gear extension lever came undone.

 

I lock wire my lever with two loops in the end of the lock wires so I can untwist them if I need to use it. You are lucky if this happened with a dukes actuator and you only blew a breaker. It can tear up the disconnect coupling. The only way to get a new one is when someone scraps a plane.

[DAVIDWH]

What do those military and big iron pilots do?

 

Oh yea, almost forgot, I think they call it a "Check List".

[aaronk25]

In a Cessna 310 I took off with instructor and thought I moved the gear knob to up but only moved it close to up position. We had to climb though a layer so I had my eyes on the panel and set climb speed via airspeed and was surprised to only see 400fpm and instructor said "why am I seeing a nose gear in the mirror"??? Flipped it up and away we went... That was embarrassing

[DrBill]

so far only once to me.. Took off out of the BIG CLT airport and had precise instuctions,  Lift off, climgin turn to 090, etc.  !/2 way to my airport (15 miles from CLT), I realized gear was down.

Just left it there and landed.

Coming home from OSH this year , the rear pass hit the catch with his foot and the  bar came up to the 45 degree point.. Had to slow down to 100 to put it back. That was right over INDY too. missed a good view of the track.

BILL

[1964-M20E]

been there done that

[N9453V]

Using consistent procedures is the best way to avoid this...

 

My POH lists the rather vague procedure as part of the climb checklist: "After establishing climb power and trimming the aircraft for climb, check to insure all controls, switches, and instruments are set and functioning properly.

 

I prefer more precise procedures, so my checklist has: "Climbing through 1000ft AGL, verify gear up, flaps up, boost pump off, no flags, engine instruments green."

 

-Andrew

[takair]

You asked about damage, I suspect the gear speed is based on the gear doors. Depending how fast you were able to make it go, it may twist them a little. You likely wouldn't know unless you were on jacks. Next time your machanic jacks the plane ask him to check that the main gear doors come flush to the skin.

[Dale]

I was leaving on an IFR clearance and the tower had some additional instructions for me right after lift off. I was following my clearance and then was immediately switched to approach control to be vectored around some traffic. Everything was happening fast and I was in the soup. My climb out was slower than usual since I had a full load of fuel and luggage. My wife who was in the right seat kept commenting that it seemed like we were climbing out slower than usual. I blew her off and just figured it was the heavier than usual load, but my wife wouldn't quit. As we continued to climb out my gear warning system went off stating that my gear was down. STUPID!! I got distracted with everything going on in the cockpit and all the additional instructions from ATC. Now every time I fly with my wife she watches the gear and the flaps like a hawk She is currently a student pilot and one day will make a fine pilot. Hopefully, I will limit such stupid mistakes in the future.

I have always been worried about distractions in the cockpit that take you out of your normal routine, especially on landing. The one thing I always remembered was a beautiful Ovation that had a gear up at sun n fun some years ago and was in the shop for repairs. I ask the mechanic how the pilot could forget the gear with the gear horn going off on the final. The mechanic told me the pilot got distracted by something during the approach and when he flared out he heard the horn but mistook it for the stall warning horn. I immediately installed an audio gear alert system (this is in addition to the gear horn) that goes off when I slow to 90 knots. It alerts you verbally as to whether my gear is down or not. My climb out was just above 90 knots and when the plane went above 90 knots it armed the system when I dropped down to 90, the gear alert went off as to the position of the gear.

[Marauder]

Dale - what warning system do you have?

[Dale]

I have the P2 audio advisory system. I have to say, it was some of the best money I ever spent for my plane. Although nothing is foolproof, I have at least given myself a fighting chance if the dreaded distraction ever takes me away from my checklist on landing. The websit is: www.p2inc.com/

[rbridges]

You asked about damage, I suspect the gear speed is based on the gear doors. Depending how fast you were able to make it go, it may twist them a little. You likely wouldn't know unless you were on jacks. Next time your machanic jacks the plane ask him to check that the main gear doors come flush to the skin.

 

A local guy just dropped his gear at high speed in his Ovation.  really bent his doors up.  they tweaked them but my IA said they still aren't flush on the leading edge.  They are buying new ones.  $$$$

[jetdriven]

What do those military and big iron pilots do?

 

Oh yea, almost forgot, I think they call it a "Check List".

The planes I fly there is no checklist. It is a callout and a response.  "Positive rate" -- "gear up". 

 

Its all flows now. The 747-400 before takeoff checklist has one item, "Flaps --- degrees"

 

The next checklist is top of descent.

[piperpainter]

Yep been there done that! I was trying to climb over a mountain the other day after playing around a little and my buddy in a 205 passed me. I didn't think much of it at the time, but circled a little and got over the hill. I figured i'd get over and be hauling butt on the way down and didn't...but again I wasn't worried about going slow, I did have my power way back! Anyway, went to put the gear down on final and...oh....that's why I have been going so slow!!!!  DOHH!

[Shadrach]

BTDT, but mine was different. I failed to ensure the gear was locked up. About 49 minutes into the flight, I look over and see the J bar floating at the 45degree position. I did not want my girlfriend’s stepfather (former 182 driver that gave up flying years ago) to see it so I hastily slammed it into the down position instead of up. I realized the error of my ways after I saw the IAS drop to about 125MPH. There was no way to nonchalantly put it back up. I just ended up looking like an incompetent ass.

[manu damaschin]

I forgot the flaps twice...at the same airport, when an unexperienced ATC was giving me clearance immediately after I was reporting the "go around"...(in IMC).

 

As for take off, I am doing myself the callout and the response "POSITIVE RATE - GEAR UP" with loud voice, even if I am with a passenger...

 

 

I think a warning system will be ok...