I almost landed gear up.

R

retract1

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
1
Display Name
Display name:
retract1
Posting anonymously because it's difficult to admit when you made a mistake and especially to other pilots as they are the only ones that would really understand. Approximately 400+hr pilot with over 100hrs in retracts.

A few days ago I needed to make a business trip, 5hrs driving versus 1:45 flying. I decided to fly as is my custom. For a day or so leading up to the flight I was fighting a head cold that got progressively worse the morning of the flight when I was feverish, congested, and had a headache. Not wanting to drive I pushed on.

The morning flight was ok, but everything seemed a bit off even including my preflight. Had to redo a couple of things to make sure I did it. Flight altitude didn't help my congestion and headache.

Quick flip and I'm headed back. Destination is a Class D airport. As I get close and get transferred over to tower it all gets a bit sideways. There are parallel runways with copious amount of student traffic and I get the short runway. After reading the accident reports lately with parallel runways I'm even more on guard. Turn short to not overshoot my base leg, find parallel traffic (no factor) and set up for final, but I'm high and fast. Too much going on, I'm #2 to land, have a plane behind me, my brain is kinda foggy.

I'm focused on trying to get the plane slowed down and dropping altitude for the shorter parallel runway. Flaps, airspeed, fence, flare, STALL HORN!!! Look over and I've got no green lights. It takes what seems like 5 seconds (probably 1-2) for my brain to shove the throttle firewall forward. Plane goes mushy, doesn't climb, barely levels off. (to my credit I didn't yank the yoke into my lap) I missed the prop strike by inches. I missed landing gear up by inches and seconds.

I should have just stayed home. I didn't use my landing checklist.

Learn from my almost mistake. I welcome your comments both good and bad as well as your criticism.
 
Bravo for the reminder… there but by the grace of God go I!
 
I'm not huge on acronyms, but illness is the first letter in IM SAFE. You didn't use your pre-pre-flight checklist, or at least just said "eff it, I'm invincible" I can't count the number of flights I've bailed on because I wasn't 100%.
 
Thank you for telling your story.
 
steingar said:
Yup, the old IMSAFE checklist. I drop gear 3 miles out, always. If gear isn't down 3 miles out I divert and get it down. Yes, I'm paranoid about gear-ups.
Click to expand...

I'm not a 3 miles out guy, but if straight in, it's when I hit TPA or 1 mile depending on the situation. Then every change in flaps also gets a gear check. So I've checked gear down 4 times before I hit the numbers whether straight in or flying rectangles.
 
Glad you didn't discover the mistake when you heard your prop hit pavement.

Flying doesn't mix well with brain fog, though. You get really used to having to do everyday life with head colds if you live where you spend practically all fall and winter with one, but head colds and flying really don't coexist well, especially if you're doing doing work between flying.
 
Here's a tip from someone on this site (I forget who), but its something that I've done, and will continue to do, at least once a year: go up and fly a few times in the pattern intentionally not lowering you gear (obviously to only a low approach). Then the difference between gear up approach and gear down approach becomes very obvious.
Your plane doesn't have a gear-up horn?
 
Thinking of the I and S and hopefully no M in IM SAFE were indicators to not even consider the first takeoff.
 
retract1 said:
Posting anonymously because it's difficult to admit when you made a mistake and especially to other pilots as they are the only ones that would really understand. Approximately 400+hr pilot with over 100hrs in retracts.

A few days ago I needed to make a business trip, 5hrs driving versus 1:45 flying. I decided to fly as is my custom. For a day or so leading up to the flight I was fighting a head cold that got progressively worse the morning of the flight when I was feverish, congested, and had a headache. Not wanting to drive I pushed on.

The morning flight was ok, but everything seemed a bit off even including my preflight. Had to redo a couple of things to make sure I did it. Flight altitude didn't help my congestion and headache.

Quick flip and I'm headed back. Destination is a Class D airport. As I get close and get transferred over to tower it all gets a bit sideways. There are parallel runways with copious amount of student traffic and I get the short runway. After reading the accident reports lately with parallel runways I'm even more on guard. Turn short to not overshoot my base leg, find parallel traffic (no factor) and set up for final, but I'm high and fast. Too much going on, I'm #2 to land, have a plane behind me, my brain is kinda foggy.

I'm focused on trying to get the plane slowed down and dropping altitude for the shorter parallel runway. Flaps, airspeed, fence, flare, STALL HORN!!! Look over and I've got no green lights. It takes what seems like 5 seconds (probably 1-2) for my brain to shove the throttle firewall forward. Plane goes mushy, doesn't climb, barely levels off. (to my credit I didn't yank the yoke into my lap) I missed the prop strike by inches. I missed landing gear up by inches and seconds.

I should have just stayed home. I didn't use my landing checklist.

Learn from my almost mistake. I welcome your comments both good and bad as well as your criticism.
Click to expand...
GUMP, GUMP, GUMP. Yes three times. Every time. Downwind base and final or some reasonable equivalent if not doing full pattern. Did I say EVERY TIME. Yup.
 
luvflyin said:
GUMP, GUMP, GUMP. Yes three times. Every time. Downwind base and final or some reasonable equivalent if not doing full pattern. Did I say EVERY TIME. Yup.
Click to expand...

Why specifically three times? Why not two? Or four? Or seven?
 
luvflyin said:
GUMP, GUMP, GUMP. Yes three times. Every time. Downwind base and final or some reasonable equivalent if not doing full pattern. Did I say EVERY TIME. Yup.
Click to expand...
When I have another pilot riding with me, or even just a non-pilot passenger, on downwind I say "Three down and green" and point to the lights and have them confirm they see it as well. Again on base and then on final. The non-pilots seem to like doing it!

It doesn't take much to get you out of your routine. On a recent flight I had two other pilots in the plane with me. I was going into a towered field and they were chatting about the houses below us and where they grew up, etc. Luckily my intercom has a switch for pilot only, otherwise they might have been told to shut up!
 
Thanks for posting this.

I have not done it YET, but one thing that I was taught many years ago is to always verbalize all checklist items (including "mental" checklists) for all approaches. I think it really helps, especially for me as I move closer to the twilight years (I'm 59).

Good job recovering and NOT joining that group that we all try to stay out of.
 
Glad you were able to keep from bending metal, and the post is appreciated as a reminder to all to not get complacent. When running the checklist items, make sure you actually DO the item on the checklist, not just read it off.
 
Country Flier said:
Your plane doesn't have a gear-up horn?
Click to expand...

This was my first thought.

The planes I have flown have a gear horn that will sound off if the throttle(s) are below a set manifold pressure setting and the gear is still up. Or if the flaps are extended more than the first notch of flaps with the gear still up.


Not sure what type of plane you were in. The gear horn operation might need to be checked.
 
My recommendation, in addition to whatever checklist you use, is to have a consistent SOP. So consistent that it becomes a habit. Habits are powerful and hard to break although I'll stop short of saying it's a guarantee. My one and only differentiation is VFR vs IFR. In either case, my gear goes down at exactly the same point every time. I had an emergency landing once where in the stress of the moment, I don't even remember putting the gear down. But it was down when we landed.
 
Thank you for posting this. A good example I'll keep in mind to continue discipline (as EdFred pointed out) to the IM SAFE.
 
GUMPS check
Every plane every time several times

For me I have to slow the puppy down, so I’m coming in hot until I do my GUMPS check. Actually I use GUMPFS. And always verify 3 green on short final, that’s the most important one!

G - Gas ON fullest tank (doesn’t really matter unless low fuel and considerable banking but touch the knob to verify placement)
U - undercarriage, under Gear down speed (usually not so I come back to it to slow it down a little more)
M - mixture full forward
P - propeller full forward
F - Fuel pump ON, Flaps (Under white arc? 10 deg flaps)
S - Speed (reduce throttle to approach speed, safety belts ON, Safety Doors & Windows locked and secured, Lights as needed)

Now reducing throttle brings the gear up warning alarm, so verify again GUMPFS. Verify speed is slow bring the gear down, very speed for additional flaps, call out 3 green, touch and verify.

Flaps again on final, watch your airspeed, call out and touch 3 green, final landing checks complete. Land.
 
Three times could be downwind, base, and final
 
EdFred said:
I'm not a 3 miles out guy, but if straight in, it's when I hit TPA or 1 mile depending on the situation. Then every change in flaps also gets a gear check. So I've checked gear down 4 times before I hit the numbers whether straight in or flying rectangles.
Click to expand...

+1. That’s my procedure….
 
I'm just glad nobody has yet whipped out that old gem "there are two types of pilots, those who have, and those who will", which of course is demonstrably false, or every single pilot ever would "have".

But be glad you got your eye-opening moment out of the way with no damage. As a CFI doing transition training and complex endorsements, I've seen quite a few almost-gear-up landings with me in the right seat. And I'm really glad they got to see it with me there to keep them from actually landing. I was glad it happened to me during my complex training with my CFI there as well. It's eye opening and without fail answers in your mind the question we all ask when hearing about a gear-up, "how could they miss the warning signs (lights, bell, buzzer, too high, too fast, etc.)" - the warning signs that seem so obvious when we're sitting here talking about it. But in the heat of the moment, especially if there's a little stress, or illness as in this case, it's fascinating how the brain works to filter out otherwise obvious indications, or rationalize them away.

It happens!

I fly as part of a two-person crew now, it's our SOP that both pilots look for the green lights (and make verbal callouts), and I STILL check them an additional time or two.
 
Those who have, those who will, and those who will again.

I knew of a pilot in Texas that had 5 gear ups, but 2 or 3, I don't remember which, was due to a mechanical failure.
 
RussR said:
I was glad it happened to me during my complex training with my CFI there as well. It's eye opening and without fail answers in your mind the question we all ask when hearing about a gear-up, "how could they miss the warning signs (lights, bell, buzzer, too high, too fast, etc.)" - the warning signs that seem so obvious when we're sitting here talking about it. But in the heat of the moment, especially if there's a little stress, or illness as in this case, it's fascinating how the brain works to filter out otherwise obvious indications, or rationalize them away.
Click to expand...
My first almost was with my CFI too. The last lesson before my checkride. :eek: You are right. An awakening without the consequences.
 
EdFred said:
I'm not a 3 miles out guy, but if straight in, it's when I hit TPA or 1 mile depending on the situation. Then every change in flaps also gets a gear check. So I've checked gear down 4 times before I hit the numbers whether straight in or flying rectangles.
Click to expand...
You know, I always rolled my eyes when @steingar talks about putting the gear down 3 miles out, but I got to thinking about it last night.... I'm of the "gear down to go down" mindset: at the FAF if flying an approach, or abeam the numbers when flying the pattern. FAF's usually are ~5 miles out, and the business end of the vfr pattern is 2-3. 3 miles out for a straight in is probably about where I drop mine too.
 
Jim K said:
You know, I always rolled my eyes when @steingar talks about putting the gear down 3 miles out, but I got to thinking about it last night.... I'm of the "gear down to go down" mindset: at the FAF if flying an approach, or abeam the numbers when flying the pattern. FAF's usually are ~5 miles out, and the business end of the vfr pattern is 2-3. 3 miles out for a straight in is probably about where I drop mine too.
Click to expand...
I know lots of pilots who drop the gear on downwind. I think that's too late, you often hit distractions in the pattern that can throw you off your game. A few miles out is usually quieter and free from distraction.
 
steingar said:
I know lots of pilots who drop the gear on downwind. I think that's too late, you often hit distractions in the pattern that can throw you off your game. A few miles out is usually quieter and free from distraction.
Click to expand...

Do you find yourself forgetting to add flaps in the pattern when it gets busy, too?

Serious question. If you don't forget flaps, why not? Why is flaps easy to remember to put down even if distracted, and not the gear?
 
I kind of hate to say this, but just maybe the FAA got it right when they said we shouldn’t fly when we are sick, tired, under unusual stress, etc. :)

I am glad you had a good outcome, RETRACT1.
 
EdFred said:
Do you find yourself forgetting to add flaps in the pattern when it gets busy, too?

Serious question. If you don't forget flaps, why not? Why is flaps easy to remember to put down even if distracted, and not the gear?
Click to expand...
I usually add flaps and do my GUMPS check before I hit the downwind. Like I said, less distraction prone.
 
This is why I like my gear down and welded. Glad it turned out OK. Remember, closies only count in horseshoes and hand grenades.
 
I forgot to put the gear up once.

It was at night, and I had my hand over those three lights that were just too bright....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top