Narrative:

After takeoff from den I placed the gear handle in the up position. Due to sunlight shining on the handle and gear position indicating lights, both I and the copilot failed to notice that the red in-transit light did not illuminate and the green down and locked lights remained illuminated. We climbed to 10000' MSL and leveled off. We were quite busy initially with several ATC traffic advisories until we were out of the TCA. At that time, while doing the cruise check, we both noticed that our speed was 180 KIAS instead of the 210 or so that it should have been. We both looked at the gear handle (sunlight still shining on it) and verified that the handle was up. When we still couldn't understand the problem, and upon closer inspection, I shielded the sunlight and then we distinctly saw the 3 green down and locked lights were still illuminated. The handle was up, so I pulled the power levers back to idle briefly to see if we'd get the gear horn and red handle light, which we didn't. This verified that the gear was down (which we then verified visually). We tried for 5-10 mins to bring it up by repositioning of the handle, etc, and decided we couldn't and returned to den where we landed west/O incident. The problem I'm concerned with is that during that short time period we arrived in cys approach control airspace and had to refuse a visibility approach clearance and return to den. The aircraft, I learned later, is not certified for flight with the gear down. I feel I acted responsibly, but I'm concerned because some think I should have returned much sooner. But when we did the after takeoff check, the gear looked like it was up and lights out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT ON COMMUTER LTT. FLT CREW DID NOT DISCOVER THE PROBLEM UNTIL CLIMBING THROUGH 5000'.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM DEN I PLACED THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE UP POS. DUE TO SUNLIGHT SHINING ON THE HANDLE AND GEAR POS INDICATING LIGHTS, BOTH I AND THE COPLT FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE RED IN-TRANSIT LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WE CLBED TO 10000' MSL AND LEVELED OFF. WE WERE QUITE BUSY INITIALLY WITH SEVERAL ATC TFC ADVISORIES UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF THE TCA. AT THAT TIME, WHILE DOING THE CRUISE CHK, WE BOTH NOTICED THAT OUR SPD WAS 180 KIAS INSTEAD OF THE 210 OR SO THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. WE BOTH LOOKED AT THE GEAR HANDLE (SUNLIGHT STILL SHINING ON IT) AND VERIFIED THAT THE HANDLE WAS UP. WHEN WE STILL COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROB, AND UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, I SHIELDED THE SUNLIGHT AND THEN WE DISTINCTLY SAW THE 3 GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED. THE HANDLE WAS UP, SO I PULLED THE PWR LEVERS BACK TO IDLE BRIEFLY TO SEE IF WE'D GET THE GEAR HORN AND RED HANDLE LIGHT, WHICH WE DIDN'T. THIS VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN (WHICH WE THEN VERIFIED VISUALLY). WE TRIED FOR 5-10 MINS TO BRING IT UP BY REPOSITIONING OF THE HANDLE, ETC, AND DECIDED WE COULDN'T AND RETURNED TO DEN WHERE WE LANDED W/O INCIDENT. THE PROB I'M CONCERNED WITH IS THAT DURING THAT SHORT TIME PERIOD WE ARRIVED IN CYS APCH CTL AIRSPACE AND HAD TO REFUSE A VIS APCH CLRNC AND RETURN TO DEN. THE ACFT, I LEARNED LATER, IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR FLT WITH THE GEAR DOWN. I FEEL I ACTED RESPONSIBLY, BUT I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE SOME THINK I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED MUCH SOONER. BUT WHEN WE DID THE AFTER TKOF CHK, THE GEAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS UP AND LIGHTS OUT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.