Narrative:

I had extended the landing gear after a power reduction, and prior to turning final on a visual approach to 9L miami international airport, and it just didn't feel right. As I complete the turn to final, I performed a gump check and noticed I did not have 3 green, and the visual 'gear down' indicator for the nose gear did not indicate 'down'. I retried the gear knob without effect while completing the approach and flying down the runway. Tower asked my intentions, and I reported the lack of 'green' and that I was going around. Tower then gave a 060 heading and reported a pilot on the taxiway reported my nose gear was only halfway extended. I was climbing slowly with full power, so all indications seemed to confirm partially extended gear. At that point my wife, in the back seat, reported that the emergency gear extension handle was 'caught in the carpet.' I had not yet begun to treat the problem attempting to first gain altitude and airspace away from the air traffic area. After attaining an altitude of approximately 1200-1500 ft, I had begun to reset circuit breakers and retried the extension handle, with a resulting 'red' all up indication. I then put the handle down and got '3 green'. A visual inspection by an small aircraft confirmed 3 down, so I approached the airport again to land. Tower asked if I would like the trucks to stand by and I said yes I would appreciate that. After landing safely and taxiing to the FBO I examined the emergency gear handle and discovered it had indeed been bound behind the carpeting and plastic facing of the panel covering the lower portion of the passenger seating area. While installing the panel the handle had been facing the 7 O'clock position, so had become bound behind the panel, and was virtually impossible to extend. The handle normally lies to the 5 O'clock position, from which it is a simple matter to extend the handle and lower the gear. After freeing the handle, I continued the flight to avo and the next day to sgh without incident. From the chain of events I concluded that lowering the gear shortly after decreasing power resulted in overloading the circuit breaker for the gear motor. After resetting the circuit breaker and flying under full power the gear cycled repeatedly without incident. I am writing the abs and aircraft manufacturer to inform them of the problem I encountered so they will pass a warning to all owners and maintenance personnel to verify the proper posing of the emergency gear extension handle prior to installing the panel through which it extends. Cocking the handle just 30 degrees prior to installing the handle prevents it from being extendable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GAR PERFORMED BY SMA PLT WHEN GEAR DOES NOT INDICATE DOWN. OVERCAME PROBLEM BUT DISCOVERS ACFT EQUIP DESIGN PROBLEM OR ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY PROBLEM.

Narrative: I HAD EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR AFTER A PWR REDUCTION, AND PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL ON A VISUAL APCH TO 9L MIAMI INTL ARPT, AND IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. AS I COMPLETE THE TURN TO FINAL, I PERFORMED A GUMP CHK AND NOTICED I DID NOT HAVE 3 GREEN, AND THE VISUAL 'GEAR DOWN' INDICATOR FOR THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT INDICATE 'DOWN'. I RETRIED THE GEAR KNOB WITHOUT EFFECT WHILE COMPLETING THE APCH AND FLYING DOWN THE RWY. TWR ASKED MY INTENTIONS, AND I RPTED THE LACK OF 'GREEN' AND THAT I WAS GOING AROUND. TWR THEN GAVE A 060 HDG AND RPTED A PLT ON THE TAXIWAY RPTED MY NOSE GEAR WAS ONLY HALFWAY EXTENDED. I WAS CLBING SLOWLY WITH FULL PWR, SO ALL INDICATIONS SEEMED TO CONFIRM PARTIALLY EXTENDED GEAR. AT THAT POINT MY WIFE, IN THE BACK SEAT, RPTED THAT THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE WAS 'CAUGHT IN THE CARPET.' I HAD NOT YET BEGUN TO TREAT THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO FIRST GAIN ALT AND AIRSPACE AWAY FROM THE ATA. AFTER ATTAINING AN ALT OF APPROX 1200-1500 FT, I HAD BEGUN TO RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND RETRIED THE EXTENSION HANDLE, WITH A RESULTING 'RED' ALL UP INDICATION. I THEN PUT THE HANDLE DOWN AND GOT '3 GREEN'. A VISUAL INSPECTION BY AN SMA CONFIRMED 3 DOWN, SO I APCHED THE ARPT AGAIN TO LAND. TWR ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE THE TRUCKS TO STAND BY AND I SAID YES I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. AFTER LNDG SAFELY AND TAXIING TO THE FBO I EXAMINED THE EMER GEAR HANDLE AND DISCOVERED IT HAD INDEED BEEN BOUND BEHIND THE CARPETING AND PLASTIC FACING OF THE PANEL COVERING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE PAX SEATING AREA. WHILE INSTALLING THE PANEL THE HANDLE HAD BEEN FACING THE 7 O'CLOCK POS, SO HAD BECOME BOUND BEHIND THE PANEL, AND WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTEND. THE HANDLE NORMALLY LIES TO THE 5 O'CLOCK POS, FROM WHICH IT IS A SIMPLE MATTER TO EXTEND THE HANDLE AND LOWER THE GEAR. AFTER FREEING THE HANDLE, I CONTINUED THE FLT TO AVO AND THE NEXT DAY TO SGH WITHOUT INCIDENT. FROM THE CHAIN OF EVENTS I CONCLUDED THAT LOWERING THE GEAR SHORTLY AFTER DECREASING PWR RESULTED IN OVERLOADING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE GEAR MOTOR. AFTER RESETTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND FLYING UNDER FULL PWR THE GEAR CYCLED REPEATEDLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I AM WRITING THE ABS AND ACFT MANUFACTURER TO INFORM THEM OF THE PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED SO THEY WILL PASS A WARNING TO ALL OWNERS AND MAINT PERSONNEL TO VERIFY THE PROPER POSING OF THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE PANEL THROUGH WHICH IT EXTENDS. COCKING THE HANDLE JUST 30 DEGS PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE HANDLE PREVENTS IT FROM BEING EXTENDABLE.

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.