Pilot of an small aircraft sel private aircraft experienced a landing gear extension problem during ...

Attributes
ACN	248432
Time
Date	199308
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dxr
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dxr tower : okc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1320 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	248432
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While on a long base leg, I put the gear handle down, but only got 2 green lights. I informed the tower of the unsafe gear indication and overflew the runway. I asked if I could circle at 2000 ft AGL to trouble-shoot. I found that the landing gear circuit breaker had popped. I reset the breaker and recycled the gear, and got 3 green. I informed the tower of a safe gear indication and they asked me to fly by the tower. I did and they noted 3 appeared down. I landed uneventfully. The following day I was contacted by an FAA inspector who asked my intended maintenance. I indicated that I was going to speak to my maintenance people as they are familiar with this foreign airplane. I called and received a call back from the factory product support representative. I described the incident and he recommended that I check the door condition and the cleanliness of the linkage on the left main gear. I went to the airport and found the door in perfect condition but the left gear linkage grimy. I had the local mechanic look at it, and he concurred that that made sense as the problem. He cleaned it off, and I called the FAA inspector who was out. I left a message as to what was done, and we departed. The landing gear has functioned perfectly ever since. I received a message upon arriving home from the FAA inspector asking for copies of the maintenance release. As all that was done was a brief look and surface cleaning of grime, I did not think that this required a signoff, neither did the mechanic. I called the mechanic and he said he had heard from the FAA, and didn't want to do the paperwork now. I have tried to do the right thing throughout this process, and if a signoff from a mechanic was needed for cleaning the landing gear, I certainly didn't know it and didn't intentionally avoid it. Now I'm concerned that I could be accused of violating FARS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL PVT ACFT EXPERIENCED A LNDG GEAR EXTENSION PROB DURING APCH TO LNDG AND WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROB BEFORE LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A LONG BASE LEG, I PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN, BUT ONLY GOT 2 GREEN LIGHTS. I INFORMED THE TWR OF THE UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION AND OVERFLEW THE RWY. I ASKED IF I COULD CIRCLE AT 2000 FT AGL TO TROUBLE-SHOOT. I FOUND THAT THE LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. I RESET THE BREAKER AND RECYCLED THE GEAR, AND GOT 3 GREEN. I INFORMED THE TWR OF A SAFE GEAR INDICATION AND THEY ASKED ME TO FLY BY THE TWR. I DID AND THEY NOTED 3 APPEARED DOWN. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS CONTACTED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO ASKED MY INTENDED MAINT. I INDICATED THAT I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO MY MAINT PEOPLE AS THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS FOREIGN AIRPLANE. I CALLED AND RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM THE FACTORY PRODUCT SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE. I DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT AND HE RECOMMENDED THAT I CHK THE DOOR CONDITION AND THE CLEANLINESS OF THE LINKAGE ON THE L MAIN GEAR. I WENT TO THE ARPT AND FOUND THE DOOR IN PERFECT CONDITION BUT THE L GEAR LINKAGE GRIMY. I HAD THE LCL MECH LOOK AT IT, AND HE CONCURRED THAT THAT MADE SENSE AS THE PROB. HE CLEANED IT OFF, AND I CALLED THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS OUT. I LEFT A MESSAGE AS TO WHAT WAS DONE, AND WE DEPARTED. THE LNDG GEAR HAS FUNCTIONED PERFECTLY EVER SINCE. I RECEIVED A MESSAGE UPON ARRIVING HOME FROM THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKING FOR COPIES OF THE MAINT RELEASE. AS ALL THAT WAS DONE WAS A BRIEF LOOK AND SURFACE CLEANING OF GRIME, I DID NOT THINK THAT THIS REQUIRED A SIGNOFF, NEITHER DID THE MECH. I CALLED THE MECH AND HE SAID HE HAD HEARD FROM THE FAA, AND DIDN'T WANT TO DO THE PAPERWORK NOW. I HAVE TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AND IF A SIGNOFF FROM A MECH WAS NEEDED FOR CLEANING THE LNDG GEAR, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW IT AND DIDN'T INTENTIONALLY AVOID IT. NOW I'M CONCERNED THAT I COULD BE ACCUSED OF VIOLATING FARS.

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 private aircraft experienced a landing gear extension problem during approach to landing and was able to correct the problem before landing.