Piper PA-24-260 N8817P accident near Ashland, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing and his failure to conduct the before landing checklist.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the flight was a local sightseeing flight with a passenger. They departed the pilot’s home base airport and flew at a lower level than normal for sightseeing purposes. They planned to land at another airport for lunch and due to the low level of the flight the pilot’s normal routine was disrupted and he did not perform his normal pre-landing checks. He stated that the landing was normal until the propeller blades struck the runway. After the airplane slid to a stop, he realized that he had not placed the landing gear selector in the “down” position. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA220 for the full record.