PA-34-200 Seneca I
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15; Flight Crew Total 2400; Flight Crew Type 3
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Aircraft
This was a training sortie in preparation for the ATP. We were performing a VOR approach [with a] circle to [land] with a planned simulated Single engine. The approach was normal. We were configured gear and flaps by the final approach fix and completed the approach. We simulated breaking out of the clouds at around 1000 feet and we commenced the circling maneuver. At this time the instructor pulled the left engine back to simulate a lost engine as pre-briefed. I cleaned the airplane up and ran the checklists necessary to simulate securing the engine. On downwind I went flaps 10 and dropped the gear just prior to turning the base. In the base turn I went to flaps 25 and in the scan of the instrument panel the three green indication was not noticed due to the light streaming in the cockpit. There was no red gear warning light illuminated. The roundout and flare was normal. As the plane settled a scraping noise was heard and I immediately initiated a go around. On retracting the gear we noticed that the circuit breaker had popped for the electric gear actuation. The engines were performing normally and we returned to base at [a different airport] with no further incident. At engine shutoff we noticed that the props did indeed strike the ground and were damaged.
[We] experienced a prop strike on landing. At the controls was an ATP student and Commercial pilot. I was supervising as an ATP and CFI. The weather was SKC and winds were 040/05. We had just done the VOR/DME approach; with a planned circle-to-land maneuver. At approximately 800 feet MSL and 1.5 miles from the field; we went visual and commenced the circling maneuver and planned on entering a left downwind. At that point; I simulated an engine failure on the left engine by retarding the throttle. The student responded by pushing up the power levers; prop controls and mixture controls; and then raising the gear and flaps. He then accomplished the simulated feathering of the left engine. I set simulated feather on the left engine; and we continued. Abeam the numbers for [landing runway]; the student set 10 flaps and selected the gear down. Halfway through the base turn; he selected 25 flaps. All looked normal.During the round out to the flare; the student retarded both throttles and began to flare the airplane. As the airplane settled; we both heard a scraping sound. He immediately pulled back on the controls; added power; and commenced a go-around. As we were climbing away from the runway; we noticed that the landing gear pump circuit breaker had popped; we had no green 'gear down' indications; and we had no red 'gear unsafe' indication.At this point; we elected to continue climbing and return to [home airport]; where an uneventful visual approach and landing was accomplished. Upon shutdown; both left and right propellers showed curling; evidence of striking the runway.My conjecture is that due to the high demand phase of flight; the bright sunlight and cockpit glare; and the lack of a red 'gear unsafe' light; both the ATP student pilot and I missed the fact that we did not have three green gear indicator lights and were unaware that our gear was not down. Always check for three green prior to landing.
A multi-engine pilot in training and the flight instructor reported a near gear-up landing that resulted in damage to the propellers.