Narrative:

On takeoff roll into quito ecuador, at a speed of 135 KTS, our computed V1 speed for this takeoff, we heard a bang, and the aircraft veered left. With right rudder deflection, the directional control was maintained, the aircraft lifted off, and a climb out was initiated. At positive rate of climb, the gear handle was raised, but the gear remained down. Upon reaching a safe altitude, the gear was cycled a few times to no avail. Due to the field elevation at quito (9223 ft), the high mountainous terrain, and it being IMC, we decided on an alternate airport. We were unable to get WX for guayayquil ecuador, we opted for panama city, panama. This airport was chosen because it was known to be VMC. They had a 10000 ft runway, we were familiar with the airport, we had plenty of fuel to make panama. It was the next closest airport on our route of flight, their emergency equipment would have plenty of notice, and they had good hospital facilities for the patient onboard our aircraft. A phone patch was sent through ny arinc to arrange for our arrival. Panama was, in the crew's regard, the safest airport for landing. The landing was uneventful, and the patient brought to the hospital. Upon inspecting the aircraft, the 2 main wheels on the left side had blown, also damaging the rims and brake assemblies. The left hand squat switch was damaged, and there were a few dings in the bottom of the wing. An a&P mechanic was sent down to panama with tools and the required parts to fix the aircraft. Upon completion of the job, the discrepancies written up about the brakes were signed off as completed. A panamanian mechanic also inspected the aircraft and signed it off as well. Due to inadequate facilities in panama, we were unable to swing the gear, so we decided to fly to fll with the gear down. A call was made to see if a ferry permit was needed. They said the aircraft was airworthy with the signoff from the mechanic, and a ferry permit was not necessary. On further inspection by the flight crew and mechanics, the same conclusion was reached. The items written up were signed off, so with that fact, we prepared the aircraft for departure. Due to the lower altitude flown, as well as a lower airspeed, a fuel stop was made in grand caymen. The flight to and landing in grand caymen were uneventful. The aircraft was refueled, and we then departed for our final destination, fll, where inspection of the landing gear was to take place. The flight to and landing in fll were uneventful. The next day, the aircraft was inspected further in inadequate facilities, and the company decided the best place to do the repair work on the aircraft would be at facilities in wichita, ks. The owner's son was to be the PIC on the aircraft. The owner's son had come down with the mechanic to help fix the aircraft, and flew home on the aircraft and also made a visual walk around of the aircraft, and found it to be in an airworthy condition. On feb/wed/93, he, not asking, or telling anyone, applied for a ferry permit for the aircraft. Upon investigating the necessary information for the ferry permit, the FAA wanted to know where the damage to the gear happened, and why they are applying for a ferry permit now, and why they did not apply for one from mpto-mwcr- fll. The crew had a meeting with the FAA, showed them the flight log, the signoffs from the mechanics, and the flight interruption report filled out by the PIC, to his chief pilot. The FAA then stated that we were in violation of flight without an airworthiness certificate, because we flew the plane with the gear down, which voided the aircraft's airworthiness certificate on board the aircraft. This is the reason for my filing this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ATX LTT JET ACFT OPERATED ACFT WHEN IT DID NOT MEET AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL INTO QUITO ECUADOR, AT A SPD OF 135 KTS, OUR COMPUTED V1 SPD FOR THIS TKOF, WE HEARD A BANG, AND THE ACFT VEERED L. WITH R RUDDER DEFLECTION, THE DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS MAINTAINED, THE ACFT LIFTED OFF, AND A CLBOUT WAS INITIATED. AT POSITIVE RATE OF CLB, THE GEAR HANDLE WAS RAISED, BUT THE GEAR REMAINED DOWN. UPON REACHING A SAFE ALT, THE GEAR WAS CYCLED A FEW TIMES TO NO AVAIL. DUE TO THE FIELD ELEVATION AT QUITO (9223 FT), THE HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND IT BEING IMC, WE DECIDED ON AN ALTERNATE ARPT. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET WX FOR GUAYAYQUIL ECUADOR, WE OPTED FOR PANAMA CITY, PANAMA. THIS ARPT WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT WAS KNOWN TO BE VMC. THEY HAD A 10000 FT RWY, WE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL TO MAKE PANAMA. IT WAS THE NEXT CLOSEST ARPT ON OUR RTE OF FLT, THEIR EMER EQUIP WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF NOTICE, AND THEY HAD GOOD HOSPITAL FACILITIES FOR THE PATIENT ONBOARD OUR ACFT. A PHONE PATCH WAS SENT THROUGH NY ARINC TO ARRANGE FOR OUR ARR. PANAMA WAS, IN THE CREW'S REGARD, THE SAFEST ARPT FOR LNDG. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND THE PATIENT BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL. UPON INSPECTING THE ACFT, THE 2 MAIN WHEELS ON THE L SIDE HAD BLOWN, ALSO DAMAGING THE RIMS AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THE L HAND SQUAT SWITCH WAS DAMAGED, AND THERE WERE A FEW DINGS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WING. AN A&P MECH WAS SENT DOWN TO PANAMA WITH TOOLS AND THE REQUIRED PARTS TO FIX THE ACFT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE JOB, THE DISCREPANCIES WRITTEN UP ABOUT THE BRAKES WERE SIGNED OFF AS COMPLETED. A PANAMANIAN MECH ALSO INSPECTED THE ACFT AND SIGNED IT OFF AS WELL. DUE TO INADEQUATE FACILITIES IN PANAMA, WE WERE UNABLE TO SWING THE GEAR, SO WE DECIDED TO FLY TO FLL WITH THE GEAR DOWN. A CALL WAS MADE TO SEE IF A FERRY PERMIT WAS NEEDED. THEY SAID THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY WITH THE SIGNOFF FROM THE MECH, AND A FERRY PERMIT WAS NOT NECESSARY. ON FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE FLC AND MECHS, THE SAME CONCLUSION WAS REACHED. THE ITEMS WRITTEN UP WERE SIGNED OFF, SO WITH THAT FACT, WE PREPARED THE ACFT FOR DEP. DUE TO THE LOWER ALT FLOWN, AS WELL AS A LOWER AIRSPD, A FUEL STOP WAS MADE IN GRAND CAYMEN. THE FLT TO AND LNDG IN GRAND CAYMEN WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE ACFT WAS REFUELED, AND WE THEN DEPARTED FOR OUR FINAL DEST, FLL, WHERE INSPECTION OF THE LNDG GEAR WAS TO TAKE PLACE. THE FLT TO AND LNDG IN FLL WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE NEXT DAY, THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED FURTHER IN INADEQUATE FACILITIES, AND THE COMPANY DECIDED THE BEST PLACE TO DO THE REPAIR WORK ON THE ACFT WOULD BE AT FACILITIES IN WICHITA, KS. THE OWNER'S SON WAS TO BE THE PIC ON THE ACFT. THE OWNER'S SON HAD COME DOWN WITH THE MECH TO HELP FIX THE ACFT, AND FLEW HOME ON THE ACFT AND ALSO MADE A VISUAL WALK AROUND OF THE ACFT, AND FOUND IT TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. ON FEB/WED/93, HE, NOT ASKING, OR TELLING ANYONE, APPLIED FOR A FERRY PERMIT FOR THE ACFT. UPON INVESTIGATING THE NECESSARY INFO FOR THE FERRY PERMIT, THE FAA WANTED TO KNOW WHERE THE DAMAGE TO THE GEAR HAPPENED, AND WHY THEY ARE APPLYING FOR A FERRY PERMIT NOW, AND WHY THEY DID NOT APPLY FOR ONE FROM MPTO-MWCR- FLL. THE CREW HAD A MEETING WITH THE FAA, SHOWED THEM THE FLT LOG, THE SIGNOFFS FROM THE MECHS, AND THE FLT INTERRUPTION RPT FILLED OUT BY THE PIC, TO HIS CHIEF PLT. THE FAA THEN STATED THAT WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF FLT WITHOUT AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, BECAUSE WE FLEW THE PLANE WITH THE GEAR DOWN, WHICH VOIDED THE ACFT'S AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ON BOARD THE ACFT. THIS IS THE REASON FOR MY FILING THIS RPT.

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.