Narrative:

The purpose of the flight was to ferry small aircraft from sck to sns for no compensation. On descent into sns at approximately PM45 local time, the gear was lowered using normal method of gear selector handle. Aircraft landing gear position indicator light (green) did not illuminate. I (pilot) checked light bulb, circuit breakers and visually inspected mains. With the help of sns tower, I contacted the owner to ensure the indicator was in working order. He assured that it was and recommended recycling the landing gear. I did so twice - - no green down and locked indication. At this point I coordinated with sns tower to circle the airport and proceed with a low altitude fly-by for visual inspection. Tower reported 'your gear appears to be down and locked.' I reduced power to check for a second unsafe gear indication -- the aural warning horn linked to throttle position and heard the horn. I then proceeded to circle and commence the landing gear fails to extend checklist and the landing with unsafe gear indication checklist. Sns tower informed me that it would be a few mins before the emergency equipment could arrive so I continued to circle. Tower then cleared me to land on 26 'winds 260 at 9 KTS.' the soft field precautionary landing was uneventful. Exterior inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right side seat's safety belt had been outside of the right door and the hem of the strap had wedged its way into the right main tubular strut space between strut and airframe preventing complete extension of the right main gear. Pilot was flying solo left seat. Had noticed the sound of the strap outside of the aircraft in cruise flight 7500 ft MSL. WX was moderate severe turbulence and a single occupant maneuver to retrieve the strap in-flight was deemed unsafe by the pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECAUTIONARY LNDG MADE AFTER GND EMER EQUIP CALLED OUT. GEAR UNSAFE CONDITION EVIDENT.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO FERRY SMA FROM SCK TO SNS FOR NO COMPENSATION. ON DSCNT INTO SNS AT APPROX PM45 LCL TIME, THE GEAR WAS LOWERED USING NORMAL METHOD OF GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE. ACFT LNDG GEAR POS INDICATOR LIGHT (GREEN) DID NOT ILLUMINATE. I (PLT) CHKED LIGHT BULB, CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND VISUALLY INSPECTED MAINS. WITH THE HELP OF SNS TWR, I CONTACTED THE OWNER TO ENSURE THE INDICATOR WAS IN WORKING ORDER. HE ASSURED THAT IT WAS AND RECOMMENDED RECYCLING THE LNDG GEAR. I DID SO TWICE - - NO GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. AT THIS POINT I COORDINATED WITH SNS TWR TO CIRCLE THE ARPT AND PROCEED WITH A LOW ALT FLY-BY FOR VISUAL INSPECTION. TWR RPTED 'YOUR GEAR APPEARS TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED.' I REDUCED PWR TO CHK FOR A SECOND UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION -- THE AURAL WARNING HORN LINKED TO THROTTLE POS AND HEARD THE HORN. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CIRCLE AND COMMENCE THE LNDG GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND CHKLIST AND THE LNDG WITH UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION CHKLIST. SNS TWR INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD BE A FEW MINS BEFORE THE EMER EQUIP COULD ARRIVE SO I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE. TWR THEN CLRED ME TO LAND ON 26 'WINDS 260 AT 9 KTS.' THE SOFT FIELD PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. EXTERIOR INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE R SIDE SEAT'S SAFETY BELT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE OF THE R DOOR AND THE HEM OF THE STRAP HAD WEDGED ITS WAY INTO THE R MAIN TUBULAR STRUT SPACE BTWN STRUT AND AIRFRAME PREVENTING COMPLETE EXTENSION OF THE R MAIN GEAR. PLT WAS FLYING SOLO L SEAT. HAD NOTICED THE SOUND OF THE STRAP OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT IN CRUISE FLT 7500 FT MSL. WX WAS MODERATE SEVERE TURB AND A SINGLE OCCUPANT MANEUVER TO RETRIEVE THE STRAP INFLT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE BY THE PLT.

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.