NTSB Factual Report

On June 26, 2012, about 1930 central daylight time, a Beech A36, N136EH, landed with its wheels retracted on runway 36L (6,879 feet by 150 feet, dry grooved asphalt) at the Lakefront Airport (NEW), near New Orleans, Louisiana. The private pilot and his two passengers were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial lower fuselage damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Hatfield Enterprises LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Shreveport Downtown Airport, near Shreveport, Louisiana, about 1735, and was destined for NEW.

According to the pilot’s report, he lowered the landing gear approximately five miles out while the airplane was on an extended downwind. He observed three green landing lights and felt the wind resistance as the gear engaged in the down position. He selected 10 degrees of flaps during the turn to the base leg. The pilot, in part, stated:

Momentarily we touched down over the numbers. As we touched

down on the gear the aircraft bounced and then touched down

again. As the aircraft touched down this time It felt as though

the gear was not sound. I then engaged full power to initiate a

go-around. As I initiated full power the aircraft remained in

ground effect. The aircraft remained in ground effect and did

not gain a positive rate of climb. As I could not climb I

advised passenger to unlatch the rear door as I reached over

the front passenger to unlatch his door. I turned fuel to the

‘off’ position as I settled the aircraft on the runway I turned

off the mags and master during the prop strike. The aircraft

proceeded to skid and came to rest approximately 2000'

from the end of 36L.

According to a flight instructor, who was instructing a student in the pattern at NEW, the accident pilot announced he was in bound to NEW from 5 miles out. The instructor, in part, stated:

We conceded 36L to the beech and told him that we would

continue in left traffic for 36R so he could have the big

runway. As we were abeam the numbers I looked to my right

and saw the beech about 100 feet above me and 1/4 mile to

the right of me and he seemed pretty oblivious to my

presence as he preceded to cut us off by turning a short left

base for 36L. I continued to watch the beech on base and

never observed the landing gear go down and my student

even commented that the beech looked like it was going in

fast. Since the beech had made such a short approach to 36L

we announced we would once again be landing on 36L #2

behind the beech; as we turned base-to-final we saw lots of

smoke on the runway and the aircraft veering to the right

towards the grass that separates 36L and taxiway bravo. The

beech pilot, obviously distressed, commanded us to perform

a go-around and we obliged.

Photographs taken by first responders showed media transfer on the runway consistent with the chrome step. The landing gear were retracted in their wheel wells on the runway and during the airplane's recovery.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear before touchdown.