"markjen" wrote in message
news:jH%sb.145396$275.449178@attbi_s53...
I dont agree with fixed gear being safer in IMC, I have a turbo arrow
and
putting the gear down is second nature.
By the time you get to your FAF you have it in landing configuration, no
problems..

The issue is not forgetting to put your landing gear down. This is not a
serious safety concern in retracts because leaving the wheels up on
landing
is damaging only to the pilot's pocketbook. There are almost never any
injuries.

The safety issue is loss of control, something casual, non-professional
pilots do all too often. Retracts are MUCH more susceptible to loss of
control accidents due to the much quicker speed buildup when control is
lost. (Retract pilots should be trained to lower the landing gear the
first
sign of an upset -- gear damage due to excessive speed be damned -- but
they
typically don't.)

Cite?

Retract singles have approximately twice the fatal accident rate of
fixed-gear singles. This trend holds generally and holds for comparable
aircraft which are otherwise identical except for their gear (e.g., C182
vs.
C182RG, Cherokee Six vs. Saratoga, etc.). A retract is much more likely
to
kill you.

Cite?