Narrative:

My aircraft, a light twin, had been annualed about a month before at lancaster, PA, municipal airport. However on collecting the plane I found two brand new defects...a defective motorized fuel xfer valve (for cross feeding only), and a malfunctioning hydraulic system used in raising and lowering the landing gear. This hydraulic system appeared to work ok but the normal 1000 pounds pressure disappeared within 20 seconds or so after engine shut down, instead of the normal period of two weeks or so. There appeared to be no leaking of fluid, and I was advised to fly home in the plane and return later for a full day or more of repairs. The flight was from morristown, nj, airport to lancaster, PA, airport. The air was smooth and the WX cavu. I called lns tower about 15 mi out at 3000 ft and was given 'straight-in runway 26, report 3 mi final.' at 150 mph IAS I set the gear lever to 'down'. The gear appeared to lower ok but I heard a funny (unfamiliar) noise...a kind of rumble..or shudder. I was still about 3 mins out, and I unhappily decided to recycle the gear again to see if I could learn something more to tell the mechanics. I then raised the gear again! Just at that time I got a call from the tower, one of more to come, warning me that a helicopter was taking off from the approach end of my runway, #26. I acknowledged and immediately started looking for the traffic, but was having difficulty because of the setting sun. The distraction continued when after a brief time there was another call from the tower...advising me of the status of the traffic. Then the tower called a last time saying the traffic was clear and I was cleared to land. By now I was very close in, and relying on my earlier gear lowering, I applied full flaps, checked everything except the gear, and flared out to what I thought was going to be a good landing down the center of the runway! There was two serious mistakes. The first was in allowing myself to experiment...raising the gear again. 3 mins seemed long enough to allow me to return to the proper landing ritual...since I intended to relower the gear immediately. It's true, I didn't allow for such things as the cluster of communications from the tower, coupled with sun glare, but these are to be expected, and in fact normal. The second and final mistake lies in the fact that I still could have handled the gear situation well enough with a final landing checklist run through. I'm also ashamed to say that I have read more than once of the dangerous psychological trap formed by any 'interim' reraising of the landing gear...for whatever reason...after the landing sequel has gotten to that point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG ON TWIN ENGINE ACFT.

Narrative: MY ACFT, A LIGHT TWIN, HAD BEEN ANNUALED ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE AT LANCASTER, PA, MUNICIPAL ARPT. HOWEVER ON COLLECTING THE PLANE I FOUND TWO BRAND NEW DEFECTS...A DEFECTIVE MOTORIZED FUEL XFER VALVE (FOR CROSS FEEDING ONLY), AND A MALFUNCTIONING HYD SYS USED IN RAISING AND LOWERING THE LNDG GEAR. THIS HYD SYS APPEARED TO WORK OK BUT THE NORMAL 1000 LBS PRESSURE DISAPPEARED WITHIN 20 SECS OR SO AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN, INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL PERIOD OF TWO WKS OR SO. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO LEAKING OF FLUID, AND I WAS ADVISED TO FLY HOME IN THE PLANE AND RETURN LATER FOR A FULL DAY OR MORE OF REPAIRS. THE FLT WAS FROM MORRISTOWN, NJ, ARPT TO LANCASTER, PA, ARPT. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH AND THE WX CAVU. I CALLED LNS TWR ABOUT 15 MI OUT AT 3000 FT AND WAS GIVEN 'STRAIGHT-IN RWY 26, RPT 3 MI FINAL.' AT 150 MPH IAS I SET THE GEAR LEVER TO 'DOWN'. THE GEAR APPEARED TO LOWER OK BUT I HEARD A FUNNY (UNFAMILIAR) NOISE...A KIND OF RUMBLE..OR SHUDDER. I WAS STILL ABOUT 3 MINS OUT, AND I UNHAPPILY DECIDED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR AGAIN TO SEE IF I COULD LEARN SOMETHING MORE TO TELL THE MECHS. I THEN RAISED THE GEAR AGAIN! JUST AT THAT TIME I GOT A CALL FROM THE TWR, ONE OF MORE TO COME, WARNING ME THAT A HELI WAS TAKING OFF FROM THE APCH END OF MY RWY, #26. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR THE TFC, BUT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BECAUSE OF THE SETTING SUN. THE DISTR CONTINUED WHEN AFTER A BRIEF TIME THERE WAS ANOTHER CALL FROM THE TWR...ADVISING ME OF THE STATUS OF THE TFC. THEN THE TWR CALLED A LAST TIME SAYING THE TFC WAS CLR AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND. BY NOW I WAS VERY CLOSE IN, AND RELYING ON MY EARLIER GEAR LOWERING, I APPLIED FULL FLAPS, CHKED EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE GEAR, AND FLARED OUT TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD LNDG DOWN THE CTR OF THE RWY! THERE WAS TWO SERIOUS MISTAKES. THE FIRST WAS IN ALLOWING MYSELF TO EXPERIMENT...RAISING THE GEAR AGAIN. 3 MINS SEEMED LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO RETURN TO THE PROPER LNDG RITUAL...SINCE I INTENDED TO RELOWER THE GEAR IMMEDIATELY. IT'S TRUE, I DIDN'T ALLOW FOR SUCH THINGS AS THE CLUSTER OF COMS FROM THE TWR, COUPLED WITH SUN GLARE, BUT THESE ARE TO BE EXPECTED, AND IN FACT NORMAL. THE SEC AND FINAL MISTAKE LIES IN THE FACT THAT I STILL COULD HAVE HANDLED THE GEAR SITUATION WELL ENOUGH WITH A FINAL LNDG CHKLIST RUN THROUGH. I'M ALSO ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I HAVE READ MORE THAN ONCE OF THE DANGEROUS PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP FORMED BY ANY 'INTERIM' RERAISING OF THE LNDG GEAR...FOR WHATEVER REASON...AFTER THE LNDG SEQUEL HAS GOTTEN TO THAT POINT.

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.