Gear up landings can happen to ANYONE...

(Todd, take a look at my previous glider related post)
I think that rechecking the a/c config is still a good response even
though a glider sustains minimal damage on a gear up. After all, there
is little configuration to check in a glider...

I had someone call my gear down during a relight at a contest. 50
sailplanes launched (Mifflin Pa) to sit in weak ridge lift in the hope
that we'd be able to start and complete a short task on an forecast
short, weak racing day. Of course we all launched with ballast just in
case so there were a number of busy relights as ballast was dumped, 300'
patterns flown and sailplanes littered the runway.

I hadn't decided whether to do a downwind straight-in or abbreviated
pattern when a crew member called up for me to check my gear.

I'll never know whether my cross check would have worked as planned (see
other post). I hadn't opened my window yet so my gear was still up. I
was at 300' with some energy. I told the crew that they saved my bottom
but I'll never know ... but I'm pretty sure I would have caught it with
my cross check.

T o d d P a t t i s t wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote:


a plane on final,. The pilot had his gear up. The controller said "XXXXX GEAR DOWN."


When told something like this by someone over the radio, the right thing to
do, even if the voice tells you exactly what is wrong and what to do, is to
treat it as a warning to recheck the airplane's configuration.
At that point you should do nothing automatically. The correct response is
to back up and recheck for a properly configured airplane by redoing the
final check.
If any doubt exists and/or there is no time to perform a recheck before
crossing the threshold, go around and set up again for another landing.


Good advice for an airplane, but problematical for a glider
that can't go around. A glider will do very little damage,
or no damage (particularly on grass) so the biggest concern
on a radio warning of any type is the distraction and
failure to maintain control. It's similar to the sudden
canopy/door opening problem. That said, however, I found it
useful to practice specific distractions, including the gear
warning distraction from the radio or the gear warning
buzzer. There is actually plenty of time to visually check
the gear position, verify it is correct or incorrect, and
reposition it if necessary, provided that the process is
practiced and becomes habit.

I agree completely. Yep, fly the aircraft.

T o d d P a t t i s t wrote:
Maule Driver wrote:

(Todd, take a look at my previous glider related post)
I think that rechecking the a/c config is still a good response even
though a glider sustains minimal damage on a gear up. After all, there
is little configuration to check in a glider...

I read your post. I totally agree that learning a recheck
procedure is critical. I was commenting on what happens if
you suddenly realize that despite all your planning you are
late on final and are suddenly warned about your gear. Was
the call for you? Is it really up or down? It is possible
to be suddenly confused. Your checks and procedures tell
you the gear is/should be down, but now you've got
conflicting information and limited time to respond. "Fly
the aircraft" has to be first.

I've never flown with a gear warning buzzer. I tried to install a
homemade affair on a PIK - the malfunctions were worse than not having
one. I decided to use it if factory installed or TSO'd - or fly without
if not. Still seems like the easiest of prevention aids.

T o d d P a t t i s t wrote:
Maule Driver wrote:

the worse was
the promise of continued flight from a low altitude thermal. A 'save'
called for gear up and window closed so I can hear the audio variometer.
Losing the thermal at 500' means gear down, window open. I've been
'distracted' multiple times at 500' and performed that cross check
multiple times before saving or landing.

I have to agree, when far from home, and low, you set up for
a landing, you run the checks, look over the field, start
the pattern, but you aren't fully committed to landing yet.
It's not unusual to find lift low, retract the gear, then
lose it and have to land, remembering to extend the gear.
These times are the most intense periods of concentration
that I've ever encountered.

I used a quick visual check and mental "gear down" on final
to make sure I had it right. It was backed up by the
earlier pattern check and the subsequent gear warning buzzer
when I used the airbrakes. I remember one flight where the
gear was down at four different places, and at one of those
spots it was down three times, before I retracted it for the
last time and got away.

Everytime I do no-landing light practice with my students at night the
controller will announce "check gear down".

-Robert



GeorgeC wrote:
Yes, BUT. I was talking to a tower controller, and he told of the time he check
a plane on final,. The pilot had his gear up. The controller said "XXXXX GEAR
DOWN." And the pilot said "Roger, gear down" and the preceded to land gear up.