Check Gear!

[gsxrpilot]

Come on folks... two M20K's landed without gear in the last week.

The insurance renewal next year is gonna be ugly for all of us.

[HXG]

Yeah, unfortunately Mooney is very well represented in the gear up landing category pretty much every month. 

[steingar]

Aargh!  The real problem is that humans can get distracted quite easily.  Says me lower the gear and do your flaps a couple miles out.  That way they're less likely to be forgotten during your distractions the landing pattern.

Edited December 14, 2018 by steingar

[N201MKTurbo]

I pledge to never land gear up!

Knocking on wood.....

[MIm20c]

Not a popular belief but I’d like to see a 10-15k moving deductible option...

[Ftlausa]

Always do a final "centerline check" for gear down.  I'm probably to the point of being obsessive about checking gear down.  Verbalize your GUMPS every time and it helps ensure you don't forget.  

[bob865]

6 minutes ago, Ftlausa said:

Always do a final "centerline check" for gear down.  I'm probably to the point of being obsessive about checking gear down.  Verbalize your GUMPS every time and it helps ensure you don't forget.

I verbalize GLUMPS at least twice on final in addition to when I'm doing it to get configured.  Added the "L" for lights.  I like having my landing light on when on final even during the day to make sure I'm seen.  

Serious question - I struggle to get slowed down without the gear down.  Maybe I'm still just new to my mooney, but it would seem like a high airspeed on final would be an indication that something isn't right.

[midlifeflyer]

16 minutes ago, bob865 said:

Serious question - I struggle to get slowed down without the gear down.  Maybe I'm still just new to my mooney, but it would seem like a high airspeed on final would be an indication that something isn't right.

One would think so, wouldn't one? Especially in the case of those two M20Ks @gsxrpilot mentioned. But folks have also landed gear up with the gear horn blaring.

Solid, repeatable, SOPs which become habits are IMO the biggest answer.

[HXG]

15 minutes ago, bob865 said:

Serious question - I struggle to get slowed down without the gear down.  Maybe I'm still just new to my mooney, but it would seem like a high airspeed on final would be an indication that something isn't right.

Yep, a higher airspeed than expected for the same or  lesser power setting on base/final or on a straight in approach should alert you to check that your gear is down. As always, if something seems out of the norm, make sure you didn’t forget something. Flows, checklists, GUMPS checks should be used consistently. I like to check gear down 3 times including a Final panic check. 

[jaylw314]

36 minutes ago, bob865 said:

I verbalize GLUMPS at least twice on final in addition to when I'm doing it to get configured.  Added the "L" for lights.  I like having my landing light on when on final even during the day to make sure I'm seen.  

Serious question - I struggle to get slowed down without the gear down.  Maybe I'm still just new to my mooney, but it would seem like a high airspeed on final would be an indication that something isn't right.

Nope.  I managed to do it, right in front of my CFI as we were doing a particularly gnarly practice approach.  To his credit, he just waited until the tower called and said "hey, you're gear's still up."

as an aside, if you get an LED landing light, you can just leave it on for the entire flight  

[gsxrpilot]

My method it to ask myself, "what is critical that needs to be done for the next... thing, maneuver, etc"  On landing, there is just one critical item, and that is the gear. I'll run through GUMPS, double check, etc. But I always ask myself that question.

"Ok, next is the landing, what is critical for landing? Gear!" And I'll check it again.

[Spurious Moppet]

G- Gear Down

U- Undercarriage Down

M- Make sure the gear is down

P- Put the gear down

S- Sure the gear is down?

Got tired of forgetting the gear so I had my A&P safety wire them down. It’s the first E to D conversion I’m aware of.

Seriously though it is always a threat when something else nonstandard is happening... traffic, birds, weather, unrelated system failure, drying the plane off after a washing. That’s when you have to slow everything down and make time to go over the basics.

 

[xcrmckenna]

If you’ve ever forgot to do something in an airplane on a checklist then it’s possible dropping the gear will be one of them. I’m sure 99% of the people that forgot said they never would.

I’ve had this conversation before but I believe there have been people that don’t put their gear up on purpose to get out from under their loan. Or not wanting the ex to get it in the divorce.

FYI, I’m not married and my plane is paid for. So if I land gear up it’s because I had a brain fart.....




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[steingar]

I've said this before but it still bears repeating.  I can easily distract you to the point where you leave the gear up, and I don't have a patch on your average 4 year old (though Mrs. Steingar thinks I've the maturity of one).  Sorry to be repetitious.  

[Pritch]

2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I pledge to never land gear up!

Knocking on wood.....

Ouch, my head is hurting!

 

[skydvrboy]

Paul, I thought you abandoned the GUMPS check for the new and improved GEAR check?

G - Gear

E - Everything Else

A - As

R - Required  

[David Lloyd]

6000 Hours between Mooney and Bonanza, the landing gear always went down entering the pattern (little airport) or at 1000' above touchdown (big airport).  Always. 

Now after 8 years in the RV, I have finally got out of the habit on short final of checking, then saying out loud, "three in the green."  Hope it doesn't take that long to get back in the habit!

[gsxrpilot]

2 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

Paul, I thought you abandoned the GUMPS check for the new and improved GEAR check?

G - Gear

E - Everything Else

A - As

R - Required  

You are correct! That's my GUMPS. It's all about the gear.

[midlifeflyer]

1 minute ago, David Lloyd said:

6000 Hours between Mooney and Bonanza, the landing gear always went down entering the pattern (little airport) or at 1000' above touchdown (big airport).  Always. 

Now after 8 years in the RV, I have finally got out of the habit on short final of checking, then saying out loud, "three in the green."  Hope it doesn't take that long to get back in the habit!

I have two also divided between VFR and IFR. So far, they seem so habitual that when I delay for some reason, my right hand starts twitching. I had one instructor who started laughing. When I asked, he pointed at my hand which had, unbidden, moved to the ear handle and was hovering there.

A guarantee some big distraction won't screw it up? Don't be silly. There are no guarantees. All we can do is what we try to do in all aviation. Manage the risk with good standard operating procedures comsitently applied.

[bonal]

GUMPS is my routine but my primary gear down tool is my ASI I should re name it the gear down instrument as I'm always working to get it to 120 on approach its my number for OK to drop the gear. As I'm trying to get it slowed down I have only one thing on my mind get it to 120 so l can drop the gear then it's at least twice I say gear is down green light is on accompanied with a check on the J bar to make sure it's locked in place in the block. I know none of us is infallible but if your primary thought is slowing down to achieve gear speed and having an airplane that is hard to slow down it really makes you focus on that all important step.

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

One would think so, wouldn't one? Especially in the case of those two M20Ks @gsxrpilot mentioned. But folks have also landed gear up with the gear horn blaring.

Solid, repeatable, SOPs which become habits are IMO the biggest answer.

As long as the gear doesn't automatically extend itself, it can be forgotten.   No process or pilot is infallable.   Knock on wood is right.

Two multi-thousand hour pilots in the front seats, gear horn is blaring the whole time, even goes into frantic mode at flare:
 

 

[GDGR]

Pretty sure I saw the Modified GUMPS check on here before:
G - Is the gear down
U- U sure the gear is down 

M- Make sure the gear is down
P- Positive the gear is down? 
S- Surely you put the gear down. 

[GDGR]

45 minutes ago, bonal said:

GUMPS is my routine but my primary gear down tool is my ASI I should re name it the gear down instrument as I'm always working to get it to 120 on approach its my number for OK to drop the gear. As I'm trying to get it slowed down I have only one thing on my mind get it to 120 so l can drop the gear then it's at least twice I say gear is down green light is on accompanied with a check on the J bar to make sure it's locked in place in the block. I know none of us is infallible but if your primary thought is slowing down to achieve gear speed and having an airplane that is hard to slow down it really makes you focus on that all important step.

I"m with you on this one. 120 and is goes down. Primarily so I can slow it to 100 on downwind. 
I also like what my CFI taught me to add more flaps flaps on Downwind, Base and final. I use this to also check that the Gear is down on each leg. 

[Bolter]

3 hours ago, bob865 said:

I verbalize GLUMPS at least twice on final in addition to when I'm doing it to get configured.  Added the "L" for lights.  I like having my landing light on when on final even during the day to make sure I'm seen.  

Serious question - I struggle to get slowed down without the gear down.  Maybe I'm still just new to my mooney, but it would seem like a high airspeed on final would be an indication that something isn't right.

I do not have speed brakes, but since they can be deployed at any time, they may increase the opportunity of losing speed without dropping the gear.  Maybe a speed brake user has a thought on that?

I made this sticker and put it over a blanking plate on my panel, visually even with the AI:

[Rick Junkin]

I'll offer, "Short Final, Good Gear" on the last crosscheck of the PAPI/VASI or the threshold disappearing under the nose.

Repeat that about 1000 times to get it ingrained into your brain, and then use it every time you land. Fixed gear or retract. I'm firmly in the camp of SOPs that you use every flight in every airplane. Its worked for me for a lot of years, and caught an oversight on one recent occasion that I can recall. Not a guarantee, but it will create a situation that doesn't feel right if you miss the check. I've gone around for less than that. I'm hoping that it continues to work for me for a lot more years.

Cheers,
Rick