An small aircraft pilot had to lower his landing gear manually.

Attributes
ACN	257578
Time
Date	199311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdr
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 420 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	257578
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 630 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	257531
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On nov/mon/93, my aircraft, an small aircraft, was being returned to my home base in bridgeport, ct, (bdr) when the FBO employee flying the aircraft noticed that he was unable to lower the landing gear fully. He made several low approachs in order for the tower to confirm that it was not fully extended. Upon confirming that he only had partial gear extension, he chose to extend the gear manually. He landed the aircraft without any problem. I had just arrived at the airport and spoke to the pilot, who informed me that he had placed a book in front of the small aircraft's emergency gear extension bar, thus blocking it and causing the landing gear fuse to pop. This is a common problem with this type of aircraft. I spoke with an small aircraft pilot who had just landed and who was also an a&P. By blocking the emergency extension bar, the fuse for the landing gear was triggered. I also requested that a local a&P confirm our assessment of the problem, which he did and made a log entry. I then proceeded on a flight to providence, ri, and returned to bdr. While en route, I recycled gear several times without event. The aircraft was returned to N79 in northumberland county, PA, and a gear retraction test was done and another log entry was made. At no time was my aircraft not airworthy. Supplemental information from acn 257531: gear extension failed due to popped circuit breaker. This was caused because emergency gear handle got stuck in the pilots operating handbook manual that was lying on the floor. In this small aircraft it is obvious that nothing can be lying on the floor. My inaction was my clutter lying around in the cockpit. A factor that made my situation easier was the fact that the airport controller could visually confirm the status of my gear being up and later of it being down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HAD TO LOWER HIS LNDG GEAR MANUALLY.

Narrative: ON NOV/MON/93, MY ACFT, AN SMA, WAS BEING RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE IN BRIDGEPORT, CT, (BDR) WHEN THE FBO EMPLOYEE FLYING THE ACFT NOTICED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR FULLY. HE MADE SEVERAL LOW APCHS IN ORDER FOR THE TWR TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED. UPON CONFIRMING THAT HE ONLY HAD PARTIAL GEAR EXTENSION, HE CHOSE TO EXTEND THE GEAR MANUALLY. HE LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY PROB. I HAD JUST ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AND SPOKE TO THE PLT, WHO INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD PLACED A BOOK IN FRONT OF THE SMA'S EMER GEAR EXTENSION BAR, THUS BLOCKING IT AND CAUSING THE LNDG GEAR FUSE TO POP. THIS IS A COMMON PROB WITH THIS TYPE OF ACFT. I SPOKE WITH AN SMA PLT WHO HAD JUST LANDED AND WHO WAS ALSO AN A&P. BY BLOCKING THE EMER EXTENSION BAR, THE FUSE FOR THE LNDG GEAR WAS TRIGGERED. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT A LCL A&P CONFIRM OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE PROB, WHICH HE DID AND MADE A LOG ENTRY. I THEN PROCEEDED ON A FLT TO PROVIDENCE, RI, AND RETURNED TO BDR. WHILE ENRTE, I RECYCLED GEAR SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT EVENT. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO N79 IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PA, AND A GEAR RETRACTION TEST WAS DONE AND ANOTHER LOG ENTRY WAS MADE. AT NO TIME WAS MY ACFT NOT AIRWORTHY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 257531: GEAR EXTENSION FAILED DUE TO POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER. THIS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE EMER GEAR HANDLE GOT STUCK IN THE PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK MANUAL THAT WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR. IN THIS SMA IT IS OBVIOUS THAT NOTHING CAN BE LYING ON THE FLOOR. MY INACTION WAS MY CLUTTER LYING AROUND IN THE COCKPIT. A FACTOR THAT MADE MY SIT EASIER WAS THE FACT THAT THE ARPT CTLR COULD VISUALLY CONFIRM THE STATUS OF MY GEAR BEING UP AND LATER OF IT BEING DOWN.

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.