Pilot of an small aircraft sel aircraft caused damage to the aircraft when operating the landing gea...

Attributes
ACN	247043
Time
Date	199307
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5c8
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	247043
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The mechanic at 5c8 was annualing an small aircraft. He could not do a retract test, so he was sending it to topeka, billard airport to another maintenance facility to have the landing gear retract test and inspection done. I was asked to fly the plane to topeka. The mechanic showed me the logbooks and the special flight permit lying on the back seat. I recall his words to me as: 'I think the gear speed on this thing is 160.' I was puzzled as to why he said this as I was familiar with the aircraft, having flown it on many occasions. I departed the airport (5c8) and retracted the gear. The up light did not come on. I tested the light and it was working. I recycled the gear down (green light) and back up (no red light, again). I decided to put the gear back down and leave it. This time I got no green and the gear warning sounded when I pulled back the throttle. I attempted to use the hand pump, but the handle was jammed and could not be pulled out. I recycled the gear again and got a green light and no horn. I continued the flight and landed normally. As I was turning off the runway, the gear horn came on. The green light extinguished. I taxied very slowly to the maintenance facility. After parking, I read the special flight permit and it said gear was to remain down during flight. Several parts in the nosewheel gear well were damaged and I received a scathing letter from the mechanic. My first mistake was not questioning the mechanic thoroughly before flying the plane. My second mistake was not reading the special flight permit and checking the logbooks before flying an aircraft known to be unairworthy. I wrongly assumed that the special flight permit was needed just because the aircraft was out of an annual. Also, because I was familiar with the aircraft, I was not as careful checking out the situation as I would have been with an unfamiliar plane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WHEN OPERATING THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTION SYS DURING A MAINT SPECIAL PERMIT FLT WHICH PROHIBITED RETRACTION OF THE GEAR.

Narrative: THE MECH AT 5C8 WAS ANNUALING AN SMA. HE COULD NOT DO A RETRACT TEST, SO HE WAS SENDING IT TO TOPEKA, BILLARD ARPT TO ANOTHER MAINT FACILITY TO HAVE THE LNDG GEAR RETRACT TEST AND INSPECTION DONE. I WAS ASKED TO FLY THE PLANE TO TOPEKA. THE MECH SHOWED ME THE LOGBOOKS AND THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT LYING ON THE BACK SEAT. I RECALL HIS WORDS TO ME AS: 'I THINK THE GEAR SPD ON THIS THING IS 160.' I WAS PUZZLED AS TO WHY HE SAID THIS AS I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT, HAVING FLOWN IT ON MANY OCCASIONS. I DEPARTED THE ARPT (5C8) AND RETRACTED THE GEAR. THE UP LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I TESTED THE LIGHT AND IT WAS WORKING. I RECYCLED THE GEAR DOWN (GREEN LIGHT) AND BACK UP (NO RED LIGHT, AGAIN). I DECIDED TO PUT THE GEAR BACK DOWN AND LEAVE IT. THIS TIME I GOT NO GREEN AND THE GEAR WARNING SOUNDED WHEN I PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE. I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE HAND PUMP, BUT THE HANDLE WAS JAMMED AND COULD NOT BE PULLED OUT. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AGAIN AND GOT A GREEN LIGHT AND NO HORN. I CONTINUED THE FLT AND LANDED NORMALLY. AS I WAS TURNING OFF THE RWY, THE GEAR HORN CAME ON. THE GREEN LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY TO THE MAINT FACILITY. AFTER PARKING, I READ THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT AND IT SAID GEAR WAS TO REMAIN DOWN DURING FLT. SEVERAL PARTS IN THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR WELL WERE DAMAGED AND I RECEIVED A SCATHING LETTER FROM THE MECH. MY FIRST MISTAKE WAS NOT QUESTIONING THE MECH THOROUGHLY BEFORE FLYING THE PLANE. MY SECOND MISTAKE WAS NOT READING THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT AND CHKING THE LOGBOOKS BEFORE FLYING AN ACFT KNOWN TO BE UNAIRWORTHY. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT WAS NEEDED JUST BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS OUT OF AN ANNUAL. ALSO, BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT, I WAS NOT AS CAREFUL CHKING OUT THE SIT AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH AN UNFAMILIAR PLANE.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft sel aircraft caused damage to the aircraft when operating the landing gear retraction system during a maintenance special permit flight which prohibited retraction of the gear.