Piper PA-31P-350 N9237Y accident near North Bend, Oregon

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear while on approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow a written checklist during the approach portion of the flight.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, while in the process of executing a terminal instrument approach to his home airport, he transitioned from instrument meteorological conditions to visual meteorological conditions. He canceled his instrument flight rules clearance, and transitioned from the terminal instrument approach to a visual flight rules approach pattern. During this sequence of events he did not follow a written checklist, and inadvertently forgot to lower the landing gear. During the landing flare, he heard the noise caused by the wing flaps and both propellers contacting the surface of the runway, and he added power and immediately executed a go-around. He then entered a closed pattern, lowered the landing gear and repositioned the flaps, before making an uneventful landing. He said during the approach he heard the gear warning horn sounding, but he thought it was the altitude alerting system. An inspection of both the runway surface scarring and each propeller blade revealed that the tips of all six blades had been grounded down by repeated contact with the asphalt surface. He also said that the airplane did not have any system malfunctions.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11CA142 for the full record.