Gear Up!

The Bonanza owner and I looking over the scene.

This was pretty sad... I watched this Beech Bonanza slide to a stop on it's belly on Watsonville's main runway 25 April. It wasn't me or mine, thankfully! I didn't see his approach, only looked up when I heard the funny sound of aluminum grinding on the concrete, so had no chance to call GEAR DOWN to him. By then it was too late with the engine stopped, the propeller blades curled back, and sparks showering from underneith.
The pilot walked out and told me as we were working on getting it up on it's wheels that he had been distracted with a radio call to him by someone else in the pattern. I don't fully understand that since without the gear down, it would be very different feeling, at least it would be in my Bonanza. I would have a hard time getting down to flap speed without the gear down, but once the flaps are down, maybe it wouldn't be too different. He managed to get full flaps down. I am going to have to try that next time I do air work. But I am sure it is possible to get so behind and distracted that you convince yourself that you've got everything covered.
Like Boris said... Now I know why it is really important to double check the gear down (and rest of the landing checklist). Our human minds are very gullible about how good things are.