Europa, G-OJHL, 24 June 2012
Europa, G-OJHL
Summary:
The pilot was flying touch-and-go circuits in benign weather conditions, using Runway 26 at Cumbernauld Airport. He elected to carry out a practice forced landing (PFL) followed by a go-around. He then flew a shortened circuit, but was high on his final approach. Contrary to his normal practice, the pilot did not lower the mono wheel landing gear and flaps (a single control) at the end of the shortened downwind leg, and failed to check this at the start of his final approach, as he was sideslipping to reduce height. The gear-up landing damaged the propeller, cowling and wheel tunnel but did not cause any injury.
The change in pitch attitude associated with extending the flaps on this aircraft type normally alerts pilots to the fact that the wheel has been lowered, but this may have been missed because of the need to sideslip the aircraft to reduce height. The pilot cited the poor location of the landing gear warning light and the fact that, as he was wearing an active noise reduction headset, he did not hear the associated aural warning which sounds in the cockpit, as contributory factors. The pilot intends to modify the aural warning so that it can be heard in the headset.
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