Narrative:

After normal takeoff on right turn out to on course, climbing through 400', gear unlocked (in transit) light still had not gone out. I recycled the landing gear: selected gear up and this time the gear came up and the gear unlocked light went out. This same situation occurred a number of times (less than 5) in the 3 1/2 yrs in which I have been employed with this company. Each time the series of events were the same. What sets this event off as different is that I received word much later from honolulu tower personnel (close friends) that an FAA inspector had called the tower to ask which small transport a had just taken off from runway 4R. (My aircraft is an small transport B). He, (the inspector), said that the left main gear had not retracted. The tower people informed him that no small aircraft had recently taken off. He then got a transcript of the tower tapes to try to identify the aircraft in question. In the small transport B the pilot is able to see the nose gear only, by utilizing a convex mirror attached to the inboard side of the left nacelle. The main gear is not visible. In my estimation, the recycling procedure is a prudent procedure to insure safe, gear up, flight. I further believe that if a representative of the FAA believed this to be an unsafe situation, he should have made an immediate effort to inform the pilot in question as yet (44 hours after the event) neither my company nor I have received any communique. Frankly I am paranoid due to the adversarial atmosphere which seems to prevail between the FAA and the aviation industry/community. A later (night) flight had this same gear condition. Subsequent to that flight I 'wrote-up' the gear in the maintenance log and 'downed' the aircraft. It was then that I learned of the FAA's interest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR OF SMT EMS ACFT HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY RECYCLED TO OBTAIN SATISFACTORY INDICATION OF GEAR UP AND LOCKED. LOGBOOK WRITE UP FOR MAINTENANCE AT END OF DAYS FLTS. ACI QUESTIONING AIRWORTHY CONDITION OF ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER NORMAL TKOF ON R TURN OUT TO ON COURSE, CLBING THROUGH 400', GEAR UNLOCKED (IN TRANSIT) LIGHT STILL HAD NOT GONE OUT. I RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR: SELECTED GEAR UP AND THIS TIME THE GEAR CAME UP AND THE GEAR UNLOCKED LIGHT WENT OUT. THIS SAME SITUATION OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIMES (LESS THAN 5) IN THE 3 1/2 YRS IN WHICH I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH THIS COMPANY. EACH TIME THE SERIES OF EVENTS WERE THE SAME. WHAT SETS THIS EVENT OFF AS DIFFERENT IS THAT I RECEIVED WORD MUCH LATER FROM HONOLULU TWR PERSONNEL (CLOSE FRIENDS) THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD CALLED THE TWR TO ASK WHICH SMT A HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 4R. (MY ACFT IS AN SMT B). HE, (THE INSPECTOR), SAID THAT THE L MAIN GEAR HAD NOT RETRACTED. THE TWR PEOPLE INFORMED HIM THAT NO SMA HAD RECENTLY TAKEN OFF. HE THEN GOT A TRANSCRIPT OF THE TWR TAPES TO TRY TO IDENT THE ACFT IN QUESTION. IN THE SMT B THE PLT IS ABLE TO SEE THE NOSE GEAR ONLY, BY UTILIZING A CONVEX MIRROR ATTACHED TO THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE L NACELLE. THE MAIN GEAR IS NOT VISIBLE. IN MY ESTIMATION, THE RECYCLING PROC IS A PRUDENT PROC TO INSURE SAFE, GEAR UP, FLT. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT IF A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAA BELIEVED THIS TO BE AN UNSAFE SITUATION, HE SHOULD HAVE MADE AN IMMEDIATE EFFORT TO INFORM THE PLT IN QUESTION AS YET (44 HRS AFTER THE EVENT) NEITHER MY COMPANY NOR I HAVE RECEIVED ANY COMMUNIQUE. FRANKLY I AM PARANOID DUE TO THE ADVERSARIAL ATMOSPHERE WHICH SEEMS TO PREVAIL BTWN THE FAA AND THE AVIATION INDUSTRY/COMMUNITY. A LATER (NIGHT) FLT HAD THIS SAME GEAR CONDITION. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT FLT I 'WROTE-UP' THE GEAR IN THE MAINT LOG AND 'DOWNED' THE ACFT. IT WAS THEN THAT I LEARNED OF THE FAA'S INTEREST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.