Narrative:

After completing a normal runup and takeoff, I placed the landing gear handle in the up position. As the landing gear were retracting I heard a slight thud, a scan of the instruments were normal. I cycled the landing gear handle to the down position while continuing climb out. The nose and right main gear down and locked lights illuminated and the right main gear appeared down and locked. The left main gear appeared to hang at about a 45 degree angle. I moved the gear handle to up and the nose and right main gear appeared to operate normally, the left main hung about 6-12' below its fully stowed position. All instrument pressures still indicated normal operation. Since the current confign presented no problems in flight I decided to continue the flight while evaluating the problem and communicating with my chief pilot and flight safety. (The current WX conditions and forecasts indicated VFR.) in preparation for descent at destination, I reduced power to idle and slowed the aircraft to minimum airspeed and lowered the gear. The nose and right main lights illuminated and appeared to be down and locked. The left main slowly moved down and indicated locked (I would guess it took about 2 mins to lock). The gear appeared to be locked down. T/D was normal. After I brought the condition levers to low RPM, I noticed a left yaw. Left engine hp was at 0 and itt and RPM were decreasing so I moved the left condition lever to feather and corrected the yaw with rudder. I completed a normal shutdown of the right engine once the aircraft came to a complete stop and the crash crew arrived. Post landing inspection revealed that the left main landing gear inboard retract cylinder clevis had broken. A malfunction and defect report was filed by the mechanic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter has no knowledge of a pattern of failures of the clevis on the gear of this type aircraft.considers it to be a one-time occurrence. Maintenance magnifluxed the other gear clevis and it checked out ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR RETRACTION AND EXTENSION PROBLEM ON SMT.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING A NORMAL RUNUP AND TKOF, I PLACED THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE IN THE UP POS. AS THE LNDG GEAR WERE RETRACTING I HEARD A SLIGHT THUD, A SCAN OF THE INSTRUMENTS WERE NORMAL. I CYCLED THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POS WHILE CONTINUING CLBOUT. THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR APPEARED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO HANG AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. I MOVED THE GEAR HANDLE TO UP AND THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY, THE LEFT MAIN HUNG ABOUT 6-12' BELOW ITS FULLY STOWED POS. ALL INSTRUMENT PRESSURES STILL INDICATED NORMAL OPERATION. SINCE THE CURRENT CONFIGN PRESENTED NO PROBS IN FLT I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT WHILE EVALUATING THE PROB AND COMMUNICATING WITH MY CHIEF PLT AND FLT SAFETY. (THE CURRENT WX CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS INDICATED VFR.) IN PREPARATION FOR DSCNT AT DEST, I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND SLOWED THE ACFT TO MINIMUM AIRSPD AND LOWERED THE GEAR. THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND APPEARED TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED. THE LEFT MAIN SLOWLY MOVED DOWN AND INDICATED LOCKED (I WOULD GUESS IT TOOK ABOUT 2 MINS TO LOCK). THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE LOCKED DOWN. T/D WAS NORMAL. AFTER I BROUGHT THE CONDITION LEVERS TO LOW RPM, I NOTICED A LEFT YAW. LEFT ENG HP WAS AT 0 AND ITT AND RPM WERE DECREASING SO I MOVED THE LEFT CONDITION LEVER TO FEATHER AND CORRECTED THE YAW WITH RUDDER. I COMPLETED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN OF THE RIGHT ENG ONCE THE ACFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE CRASH CREW ARRIVED. POST LNDG INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LNDG GEAR INBOARD RETRACT CYLINDER CLEVIS HAD BROKEN. A MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT RPT WAS FILED BY THE MECH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF A PATTERN OF FAILURES OF THE CLEVIS ON THE GEAR OF THIS TYPE ACFT.CONSIDERS IT TO BE A ONE-TIME OCCURRENCE. MAINT MAGNIFLUXED THE OTHER GEAR CLEVIS AND IT CHKED OUT OK.

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.