Narrative:

Jun/fri/94 I contacted bridgeport flight service and listened to the WX tape briefing, which indicated WX was VFR in my area. Also the 2 closest airports (within 25 mi) were VFR. I proceeded to airport, and found WX to be what I estimated to be 3 mi and 1000 ft visibility. There was a light fog bank, which appeared to be moving away from the airport. At XA50 pm, I departed runway 24 cqx. Upon retracting gear, I heard an unusual sound, and noticed that gear was not fully retracted (by observation in the wingtip mirrors). It sounded like the gear motor was still turning, and I smelled an acrid odor in the cockpit. By this time I was at 11000 ft, and I encountered a thin layer of fog. WX was clear and sunny above. As I struggled with the malfunctioning gear, I felt insecure and decided the best thing to do was land as soon as possible. I attempted to lower the gear again as I circled the airport. By now, the runway had become partially obscured by fog. The gear was still making odd sounds and the cockpit was getting warm and I still smelled the acrid smell. When I finally got the gear lowered (3 green lights indicating, and the visual check in the mirrors), the runway was almost totally obscured by fog. Therefore, I circled wider to see if I could get runway visibility again by flying under the fog. I made several circles of the airport, flying in the clear, but couldn't get clear sight of the runway. I determined that the best procedure was to fly to hya (nearest airport, reported clear) and land there. The cockpit continued to be warm, so I retracted the gear, hoping that if something was burning, it would be snuffed out. I reported to hya tower, and requested to make a pass for gear inspection. I lowered gear again. This time the gear did not fully extend. Tower reported that gear doors were open but wheels were not down. I then noticed that the gear circuit breaker had popped. By resetting it I was able to lower the gear. (3 green lights and visibly down by the mirrors.) I landed without incident, and grounded the airplane until monday. Mechanic put airplane onto jacks and found major electrical problem causing gear failure. After 4 days of trouble-shooting, problem still not corrected, waiting for parts. In my efforts to stay clear of fog and to deal with the gear problem, I may have inadvertently flown below pattern altitude. At no time did I lose visual contact with the ground under me, and I did not attempt to fly through fog to find runway. If I misjudged visibility at airport initially, that could have been avoided if there was a reporting system other than just a visual check. There is equipment installed on that airport for this purpose, but it has never been activated, therefore flight service has no information from it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION CREATES A PLT DISTR TASK AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: JUN/FRI/94 I CONTACTED BRIDGEPORT FLT SVC AND LISTENED TO THE WX TAPE BRIEFING, WHICH INDICATED WX WAS VFR IN MY AREA. ALSO THE 2 CLOSEST ARPTS (WITHIN 25 MI) WERE VFR. I PROCEEDED TO ARPT, AND FOUND WX TO BE WHAT I ESTIMATED TO BE 3 MI AND 1000 FT VISIBILITY. THERE WAS A LIGHT FOG BANK, WHICH APPEARED TO BE MOVING AWAY FROM THE ARPT. AT XA50 PM, I DEPARTED RWY 24 CQX. UPON RETRACTING GEAR, I HEARD AN UNUSUAL SOUND, AND NOTICED THAT GEAR WAS NOT FULLY RETRACTED (BY OBSERVATION IN THE WINGTIP MIRRORS). IT SOUNDED LIKE THE GEAR MOTOR WAS STILL TURNING, AND I SMELLED AN ACRID ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. BY THIS TIME I WAS AT 11000 FT, AND I ENCOUNTERED A THIN LAYER OF FOG. WX WAS CLR AND SUNNY ABOVE. AS I STRUGGLED WITH THE MALFUNCTIONING GEAR, I FELT INSECURE AND DECIDED THE BEST THING TO DO WAS LAND ASAP. I ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR AGAIN AS I CIRCLED THE ARPT. BY NOW, THE RWY HAD BECOME PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY FOG. THE GEAR WAS STILL MAKING ODD SOUNDS AND THE COCKPIT WAS GETTING WARM AND I STILL SMELLED THE ACRID SMELL. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE GEAR LOWERED (3 GREEN LIGHTS INDICATING, AND THE VISUAL CHK IN THE MIRRORS), THE RWY WAS ALMOST TOTALLY OBSCURED BY FOG. THEREFORE, I CIRCLED WIDER TO SEE IF I COULD GET RWY VISIBILITY AGAIN BY FLYING UNDER THE FOG. I MADE SEVERAL CIRCLES OF THE ARPT, FLYING IN THE CLR, BUT COULDN'T GET CLR SIGHT OF THE RWY. I DETERMINED THAT THE BEST PROC WAS TO FLY TO HYA (NEAREST ARPT, RPTED CLR) AND LAND THERE. THE COCKPIT CONTINUED TO BE WARM, SO I RETRACTED THE GEAR, HOPING THAT IF SOMETHING WAS BURNING, IT WOULD BE SNUFFED OUT. I RPTED TO HYA TWR, AND REQUESTED TO MAKE A PASS FOR GEAR INSPECTION. I LOWERED GEAR AGAIN. THIS TIME THE GEAR DID NOT FULLY EXTEND. TWR RPTED THAT GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN BUT WHEELS WERE NOT DOWN. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. BY RESETTING IT I WAS ABLE TO LOWER THE GEAR. (3 GREEN LIGHTS AND VISIBLY DOWN BY THE MIRRORS.) I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND GNDED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL MONDAY. MECH PUT AIRPLANE ONTO JACKS AND FOUND MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROB CAUSING GEAR FAILURE. AFTER 4 DAYS OF TROUBLE-SHOOTING, PROB STILL NOT CORRECTED, WAITING FOR PARTS. IN MY EFFORTS TO STAY CLR OF FOG AND TO DEAL WITH THE GEAR PROB, I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY FLOWN BELOW PATTERN ALT. AT NO TIME DID I LOSE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND UNDER ME, AND I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO FLY THROUGH FOG TO FIND RWY. IF I MISJUDGED VISIBILITY AT ARPT INITIALLY, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THERE WAS A RPTING SYS OTHER THAN JUST A VISUAL CHK. THERE IS EQUIP INSTALLED ON THAT ARPT FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED, THEREFORE FLT SVC HAS NO INFO FROM IT.

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.