Narrative:

Upon leaving a private airport en route to gso, then W98 in va, I had a steady red 'gear unsafe' light illuminated upon gear retracting. We cycled the gear and saw no change. I elected to fly to gso to accomplish a tower fly-by to inspect the gear. They confirmed nose gear full retracted and mains 60% down. We had 5 hours fuel to burn, so after orbiting and having gso departure contact the mechanic familiar with the aircraft via landline, we elected to fly the 1/2 hour back to NC05 to talk directly to our mechanic via radio. They confirmed the problem, but beyond the emergency gear extension procedures checklist which we had accomplished a 1/2 dozen times, they had no suggestions. We proceeded back to gso to orbit in order to burn fuel to a minimum to reduce fire hazard with a gear up landing. We had earlier been informed by gso approach that crash fire rescue equipment would foam the runway. In the meantime, a former manufacturer test pilot joined us to visually inspect our aircraft. He also contacted manufacturer through unicom to ask suggestions. We explored removing side and floor panels to puncture a hydraulic line to relieve line pressure, but lack of time, tools and positive identify on the lines necessitated preparation for a gear up landing. We orbited the field at 4500' until exhausting the right fuel tanks (exit door side) and with about 10 gals or 45 mins fuel remaining we began the approach. Now informed that there was not enough foam to do the runway and fight a fire. The procedures were reviewed. At 200' AGL the door was opened. At 100' AGL the mags, master, mixture and fuel valves were secured and we dead-sticked into a safer landing. In the future I will carry a tool box, know my aircraft's mechanical workings better and query ATC better about crash fire rescue equipment facs and procedures. In addition, news media were on the scene and were a hazard, both physically and psychologically, to a safe operation. They should not be allowed on the air field!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON GEAR RETRACTION. LANDS WITH GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED.

Narrative: UPON LEAVING A PVT ARPT ENRTE TO GSO, THEN W98 IN VA, I HAD A STEADY RED 'GEAR UNSAFE' LIGHT ILLUMINATED UPON GEAR RETRACTING. WE CYCLED THE GEAR AND SAW NO CHANGE. I ELECTED TO FLY TO GSO TO ACCOMPLISH A TWR FLY-BY TO INSPECT THE GEAR. THEY CONFIRMED NOSE GEAR FULL RETRACTED AND MAINS 60% DOWN. WE HAD 5 HRS FUEL TO BURN, SO AFTER ORBITING AND HAVING GSO DEP CONTACT THE MECH FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT VIA LANDLINE, WE ELECTED TO FLY THE 1/2 HR BACK TO NC05 TO TALK DIRECTLY TO OUR MECH VIA RADIO. THEY CONFIRMED THE PROB, BUT BEYOND THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROCS CHKLIST WHICH WE HAD ACCOMPLISHED A 1/2 DOZEN TIMES, THEY HAD NO SUGGESTIONS. WE PROCEEDED BACK TO GSO TO ORBIT IN ORDER TO BURN FUEL TO A MINIMUM TO REDUCE FIRE HAZARD WITH A GEAR UP LNDG. WE HAD EARLIER BEEN INFORMED BY GSO APCH THAT CFR WOULD FOAM THE RWY. IN THE MEANTIME, A FORMER MANUFACTURER TEST PLT JOINED US TO VISUALLY INSPECT OUR ACFT. HE ALSO CONTACTED MANUFACTURER THROUGH UNICOM TO ASK SUGGESTIONS. WE EXPLORED REMOVING SIDE AND FLOOR PANELS TO PUNCTURE A HYD LINE TO RELIEVE LINE PRESSURE, BUT LACK OF TIME, TOOLS AND POSITIVE IDENT ON THE LINES NECESSITATED PREPARATION FOR A GEAR UP LNDG. WE ORBITED THE FIELD AT 4500' UNTIL EXHAUSTING THE RIGHT FUEL TANKS (EXIT DOOR SIDE) AND WITH ABOUT 10 GALS OR 45 MINS FUEL REMAINING WE BEGAN THE APCH. NOW INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FOAM TO DO THE RWY AND FIGHT A FIRE. THE PROCS WERE REVIEWED. AT 200' AGL THE DOOR WAS OPENED. AT 100' AGL THE MAGS, MASTER, MIXTURE AND FUEL VALVES WERE SECURED AND WE DEAD-STICKED INTO A SAFER LNDG. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CARRY A TOOL BOX, KNOW MY ACFT'S MECHANICAL WORKINGS BETTER AND QUERY ATC BETTER ABOUT CFR FACS AND PROCS. IN ADDITION, NEWS MEDIA WERE ON THE SCENE AND WERE A HAZARD, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY, TO A SAFE OPERATION. THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE AIR FIELD!

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.