PA-44 Seminole/Turbo Seminole
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 227; Flight Crew Total 1612; Flight Crew Type 390
Situational Awareness; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Gear Up Landing
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
I was training my Multi-Commercial course student in a PA44-180. The weather condition was wind 290 at 12 knots; sky is clear; visibility is more than 10 SM. We were practicing single engine circling instrument approach to prepare the check ride of my student at a non-towered airport. During the final approach course; the landing gear was down with simulated single engine. At 200 FT above MDA; we raised the landing gear for the circle; otherwise we can not maintain MDA for circling due to drag. However; we had a strong head wind so I changed my mind to make a straight in landing at the 2.5 mile final. Until that time student and I misunderstood that we had lowered the landing gear. Unfortunately landing gear warning horn was not activated at that time. We just continued to approach and landed without landing gear down. After the propeller hit the ground; we noticed that we did not lower the landing gear. Airplane stopped on the runway near the center line and there was no damage to airport facilities. Student and I were not hurt and we evacuated from the airplane. I requested the help from local airplane mechanics at the field and we lifted up the airplane and moved it from the runway within an hour. I also had a handheld transceiver to communicate with any inbound traffic just in case. Through this incident; I learned how each procedure is important during the whole flight and I promised to myself that I am going to double check every single critical procedure during the flight in the future. I couldn't emphasize enough about the landing gear double check.
PA44 instructor pilot describes the events leading up to a gear up landing after a simulated engine out approach.