Gear up landings can happen to ANYONE...

A whole bunch of years ago down in Galveston (KGLS), Texas, one of the local
pilots was up doing T&Gs in his brand new V-Tail Bo. I was in the FBO lounge
with some other CAP Cadets listening to the radio and watching the traffic
waiting for our turn to go for an orientation hop.

I remember the Bo driver's excited voice when he called to another plane on
final to "Wave off, Go Around! Your gear is not down!" He then cut the
pattern short to fly wing tip with the guy while they did all sorts of
things to finally get the landing gear down and make a safe landing.

By now you know the punch line to this tale. Yup, the Bo driver landed with
his gear safely stowed in the wings.

In article FD6ig.16001$523.10174@trnddc07,
"Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote:

By now you know the punch line to this tale. Yup, the Bo driver landed with
his gear safely stowed in the wings.

In Bonanza clinics they tell you that the most common cause of gear up
landings is a go around.

Dudley Henriques wrote:

About distraction and the cross check;
It's for this exact reason we do the cross check.
Distraction is something that every instructor working in the complex
environment should be dealing with from the first hour of dual with a pilot
moving up into complex aircraft. In fact, it's SO important, it should be
treated as a formal step into the complex checkout scenario.

The way the instructor handles this single issue will either produce a pilot
who has a habit pattern that will stay with him/her the rest of their flying
days, or simply one more pilot pushed through the complex checkout stage who
is a gear up landing waiting to happen. The role of the complex check pilot
is CRITICAL in creating this habit pattern in the pilot being trained.

The way it's handled will of course vary from instructor to instructor.

I suggest introducing the issue of distraction during the FIRST dual session
with a complex transition pilot; first stressing it's existence and dangers
in the retract gear environment in the multi-task scenario, then stressing
the need for the gear cross check on final.
Now this seems normal enough at first glance, and naturally every instructor
will do this.
But wait........there's more to creating a habit pattern in a pilot then the
first step!!!!!!!

Usually at this point, this information is simply digested by the trainee as
one more thing to remember, but the seed is planted. The next stage is
critical. Just planting the seed for a needed habit pattern is not nearly
enough, and this unfortunately is where many complex instructors fumble the
ball.
On EVERY FLIGHT with a complex trainee, before the flight, during the
flight, and after the flight, the need for the cross check on final should
be RE-INTRODUCED by the instructor. In other words, this single facet of a
complex checkout should be repeated on each flight several times. By doing
this, the CONSTANT REPETITION of a single item becomes ingrained as a
conditioned mental reflex that will function in a distraction environment.
Also, one more thing on distraction;
The cross check is SO important, and SO critical, that the way it should be
taught is that ANYTHING causing a break in the cross check requires a
RECHECK of the cross check itself!!.
The end result of all this is hopefully a pilot with a highly trained mental
trigger concerning his/her final cross check who will be on final and half
way through the final pre landing cross check as a distraction occurs. The
pilot will AUTOMATICALLY handle the distraction, then REDO the final cross
check.

If you train yourself to this level of awareness about your final cross
check, you should be just fine in the complex environment.
One additional thing; your "concern" about making a gear up landing is
actually a desired result of proper training for a complex pilot. It's this
"concern" that defines the edge that triggers the cross check.
So relax......you're perfectly normal!! :-)))))))
Dudley Henriques

I've been fortunate to have had three instructors (primary, instrument
and retractable check-out) who not only taught the above, they gave lots
of practice by causing distractions almost all of the time. My
instrument instructor was so bad that I flew virtually all training
flights with something "not working." The only flight that didn't have
a failed instrument was the final prep flight for the check ride. I
then began to get distracted wondering why he wasn't introducing any
distractions. It was eerie.

Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

I've been fortunate to have had three instructors (primary, instrument and
retractable check-out) who not only taught the above, they gave lots of
practice by causing distractions almost all of the time. My instrument
instructor was so bad that I flew virtually all training flights with
something "not working." The only flight that didn't have a failed
instrument was the final prep flight for the check ride. I then began to
get distracted wondering why he wasn't introducing any distractions. It
was eerie.

Matt

It sounds like you have had a rock solid learning curve that by it's very
definition, is ongoing, and will continue on with you as long as you fly.
DH

Years ago, a co-pilot for a local corporation asked me to
ride-shotgun in their old C 310 on a night flight in the
local area. After ILS at KHUT and KICT with various airwork,
we setup for the final landing at KICT on 19R.
At 200 feet I asked my friend a question, like this. "I do
most of my instruction in the Duchess and Baron and they
have green lights to show the gear position, doesn't Cessna
do that?"


The gear lights were completely out. He had not looked, had
just gone by the sound and drag change when he moved the
lever. But a quick go-around solved the immediate problem
and some careful troubleshooting and wire tightening and
bulb swaps got us three green after about 30 more minutes.

The things that kill, controls locked (or rigged backward-
happens), no fuel are definite before take-off rechecks.
There aren't too many killers on landing assuming that you
have a place to land within fuel range, but landing gear up
is rarely a mechanical failure that couldn't have been
prevented by proper maintenance. If your flying a Baron or
Bonanza, the gear is operated by three steel push-pull rods
connected to a solid gear housing. If one wheel is down,
they all have to be unless the rod has become disconnected
or bent. One the bigger Beech twins, the main gear is
push-pull rods, but the nose gear is a bicycle chain, which
can break or jump the sprocket. It should be replaced and a
new sprocket used too every so often.

Good maintenance and a good pilot make retract gear safe,
either one missing and you have problems.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
link.net...
|
| "Matt Whiting" wrote in message
| ...
|
| I've been fortunate to have had three instructors
(primary, instrument and
| retractable check-out) who not only taught the above,
they gave lots of
| practice by causing distractions almost all of the time.
My instrument
| instructor was so bad that I flew virtually all training
flights with
| something "not working." The only flight that didn't
have a failed
| instrument was the final prep flight for the check ride.
I then began to
| get distracted wondering why he wasn't introducing any
distractions. It
| was eerie.
|
| Matt
|
| It sounds like you have had a rock solid learning curve
that by it's very
| definition, is ongoing, and will continue on with you as
long as you fly.
| DH
|
|

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:tt4ig.28366$ZW3.15775@dukeread04...
Years ago, a co-pilot for a local corporation asked me to
ride-shotgun in their old C 310 on a night flight in the
local area. After ILS at KHUT and KICT with various airwork,
we setup for the final landing at KICT on 19R.
At 200 feet I asked my friend a question, like this. "I do
most of my instruction in the Duchess and Baron and they
have green lights to show the gear position, doesn't Cessna
do that?"


The gear lights were completely out. He had not looked, had
just gone by the sound and drag change when he moved the
lever. But a quick go-around solved the immediate problem
and some careful troubleshooting and wire tightening and
bulb swaps got us three green after about 30 more minutes.

I love this approach, and have used it several times myself when correcting
another pilot in flight.
By asking the question instead of making the statement, you saved the
airplane; corrected the problem; taught a valuable lesson that wouldn't be
soon forgotten, and lo and behold.....you even managed to save the guys
pride and keep a friend!!!! A perfect night's work if I don't say so :-)))
Dudley

Thanks.


"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
|
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in message
| news:tt4ig.28366$ZW3.15775@dukeread04...
| Years ago, a co-pilot for a local corporation asked me
to
| ride-shotgun in their old C 310 on a night flight in the
| local area. After ILS at KHUT and KICT with various
airwork,
| we setup for the final landing at KICT on 19R.
| At 200 feet I asked my friend a question, like this. "I
do
| most of my instruction in the Duchess and Baron and they
| have green lights to show the gear position, doesn't
Cessna
| do that?"
|
|
| The gear lights were completely out. He had not looked,
had
| just gone by the sound and drag change when he moved the
| lever. But a quick go-around solved the immediate
problem
| and some careful troubleshooting and wire tightening and
| bulb swaps got us three green after about 30 more
minutes.
|
| I love this approach, and have used it several times
myself when correcting
| another pilot in flight.
| By asking the question instead of making the statement,
you saved the
| airplane; corrected the problem; taught a valuable lesson
that wouldn't be
| soon forgotten, and lo and behold.....you even managed to
save the guys
| pride and keep a friend!!!! A perfect night's work if I
don't say so :-)))
| Dudley
|
|

Jim Macklin wrote:

Years ago, a co-pilot for a local corporation asked me to
ride-shotgun in their old C 310 on a night flight in the
local area. After ILS at KHUT and KICT with various airwork,
we setup for the final landing at KICT on 19R.
At 200 feet I asked my friend a question, like this. "I do
most of my instruction in the Duchess and Baron and they
have green lights to show the gear position, doesn't Cessna
do that?"


The gear lights were completely out. He had not looked, had
just gone by the sound and drag change when he moved the
lever. But a quick go-around solved the immediate problem
and some careful troubleshooting and wire tightening and
bulb swaps got us three green after about 30 more minutes.

The things that kill, controls locked (or rigged backward-
happens), no fuel are definite before take-off rechecks.
There aren't too many killers on landing assuming that you
have a place to land within fuel range, but landing gear up
is rarely a mechanical failure that couldn't have been
prevented by proper maintenance. If your flying a Baron or
Bonanza, the gear is operated by three steel push-pull rods
connected to a solid gear housing. If one wheel is down,
they all have to be unless the rod has become disconnected
or bent. One the bigger Beech twins, the main gear is
push-pull rods, but the nose gear is a bicycle chain, which
can break or jump the sprocket. It should be replaced and a
new sprocket used too every so often.

Good maintenance and a good pilot make retract gear safe,
either one missing and you have problems.

Retracts are pretty safe even if the gear is up. It just makes the
landing fee much, much higher. :-)


Matt

So true.



"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
|
| Years ago, a co-pilot for a local corporation asked me
to
| ride-shotgun in their old C 310 on a night flight in the
| local area. After ILS at KHUT and KICT with various
airwork,
| we setup for the final landing at KICT on 19R.
| At 200 feet I asked my friend a question, like this. "I
do
| most of my instruction in the Duchess and Baron and they
| have green lights to show the gear position, doesn't
Cessna
| do that?"
|
|
| The gear lights were completely out. He had not looked,
had
| just gone by the sound and drag change when he moved the
| lever. But a quick go-around solved the immediate
problem
| and some careful troubleshooting and wire tightening and
| bulb swaps got us three green after about 30 more
minutes.
|
| The things that kill, controls locked (or rigged
backward-
| happens), no fuel are definite before take-off rechecks.
| There aren't too many killers on landing assuming that
you
| have a place to land within fuel range, but landing gear
up
| is rarely a mechanical failure that couldn't have been
| prevented by proper maintenance. If your flying a Baron
or
| Bonanza, the gear is operated by three steel push-pull
rods
| connected to a solid gear housing. If one wheel is
down,
| they all have to be unless the rod has become
disconnected
| or bent. One the bigger Beech twins, the main gear is
| push-pull rods, but the nose gear is a bicycle chain,
which
| can break or jump the sprocket. It should be replaced
and a
| new sprocket used too every so often.
|
| Good maintenance and a good pilot make retract gear
safe,
| either one missing and you have problems.
|
| Retracts are pretty safe even if the gear is up. It just
makes the
| landing fee much, much higher. :-)
|
|
| Matt