Narrative:

I was giving a dual flight lesson in an small aircraft. Was performing various maneuvers, including stalls which call for the landing gear to be extended and retracted as part of the normal procedure. The gear was extended and retracted normally 5 or 5 times during the flight lesson. At the completion of the flight lesson, we left the northwest practice area and proceeded to carbondale for a full stop landing. When attempted to extend the gear for landing, the right main extended normally, but the left main extended partially and stopped approximately 1/2-way between the fully retracted and fully extended position. We flew back to the practice area to troubleshoot our situation. I tried to recycle the gear and hand pump the gear manually numerous times after assessing the problem and referring to the checklist. The left main still remained partially extended. I consulted with the chief flight instrument on the company frequency to discuss my options. During this period, I monitored tower frequency 118.2. I decided to land gear up with the left main hanging partially extended. We flew, circling over the airport, at 2500' for over 3 hours to burn off fuel. I landed the aircraft on runway 36. We touched down on the belly without incident or injury. We were given priority by tower during this whole ordeal, and I had declared an emergency after we determined that there was nothing we could do with the left main gear. I did not squawk 7700 because I felt it was not necessary. Tower knew who we were, where we were and what our problem was the whole time. I told the tower what my intentions were once the emergency was declared. The aircraft suffered minimal damage including a bent propeller. The FAA requested a written statement form me. The information I gave FAA was very similar to what I just reported to you.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA MADE A GEAR UP LNDG WHEN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COULD NOT BE FULLY EXTENDED.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING A DUAL FLT LESSON IN AN SMA. WAS PERFORMING VARIOUS MANEUVERS, INCLUDING STALLS WHICH CALL FOR THE LNDG GEAR TO BE EXTENDED AND RETRACTED AS PART OF THE NORMAL PROC. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND RETRACTED NORMALLY 5 OR 5 TIMES DURING THE FLT LESSON. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT LESSON, WE LEFT THE NW PRACTICE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO CARBONDALE FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. WHEN ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE GEAR FOR LNDG, THE RIGHT MAIN EXTENDED NORMALLY, BUT THE LEFT MAIN EXTENDED PARTIALLY AND STOPPED APPROX 1/2-WAY BTWN THE FULLY RETRACTED AND FULLY EXTENDED POS. WE FLEW BACK TO THE PRACTICE AREA TO TROUBLESHOOT OUR SITUATION. I TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR AND HAND PUMP THE GEAR MANUALLY NUMEROUS TIMES AFTER ASSESSING THE PROB AND REFERRING TO THE CHKLIST. THE LEFT MAIN STILL REMAINED PARTIALLY EXTENDED. I CONSULTED WITH THE CHIEF FLT INSTR ON THE COMPANY FREQ TO DISCUSS MY OPTIONS. DURING THIS PERIOD, I MONITORED TWR FREQ 118.2. I DECIDED TO LAND GEAR UP WITH THE LEFT MAIN HANGING PARTIALLY EXTENDED. WE FLEW, CIRCLING OVER THE ARPT, AT 2500' FOR OVER 3 HRS TO BURN OFF FUEL. I LANDED THE ACFT ON RWY 36. WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE BELLY WITHOUT INCIDENT OR INJURY. WE WERE GIVEN PRIORITY BY TWR DURING THIS WHOLE ORDEAL, AND I HAD DECLARED AN EMER AFTER WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. I DID NOT SQUAWK 7700 BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. TWR KNEW WHO WE WERE, WHERE WE WERE AND WHAT OUR PROB WAS THE WHOLE TIME. I TOLD THE TWR WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE ONCE THE EMER WAS DECLARED. THE ACFT SUFFERED MINIMAL DAMAGE INCLUDING A BENT PROP. THE FAA REQUESTED A WRITTEN STATEMENT FORM ME. THE INFO I GAVE FAA WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I JUST RPTED TO YOU.

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.