Narrative:

I started the flight with a thorough preflight (WX, performance factors, weight and balance) as well as using the checklist and checking out the plane. At the time when cleared for takeoff, I held the brakes, applied full power, verified engine instruments in the green, began the roll and eventually climb out. When additional runway length became unavailable and a positive rate of climb was established I put the landing gear lever in the up position. The red 'gear unsafe' light came on (the in transition phase) and when it went off, I still had 3 green at 1300 ft MSL now, I call tower to verify my gear was up. I knew the gear was down and expected that answer to confirm Y 3 green indicators. Tower did come back and say that the gear did appear to be down. I came back and said that my gear is down with the gear lever in the up position. I told tower that I was coming back in to have my flight school check out the problem. Tower then came back and said, ' would you like a truck.' I replied, 'sure, why not?' I said this may be because I had a short and did not trust the 3 green. I then headed back for the airport and went through a checklist verifying gear pump and gear circuit breakers were in and tried recycling the gear several times (5-6 times) before landing after 3 low approachs. Every time I went to recycle the landing gear the 'in-transition' (red) light came on and off. Before landing, I did a gump and prelndg check with the gear lever in the down position. I also did reset the gear pump circuit breaker. I landed softly, no problems -- gear was down and locked. The problem turned out to be metal fatigue on both squat switches where the circuit did not close when pressure was released off the main gear during takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR DID NOT RETRACT WHEN THE LNDG GEAR SELECTOR WAS MOVED TO THE RETRACT POS.

Narrative: I STARTED THE FLT WITH A THOROUGH PREFLT (WX, PERFORMANCE FACTORS, WT AND BAL) AS WELL AS USING THE CHKLIST AND CHKING OUT THE PLANE. AT THE TIME WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, I HELD THE BRAKES, APPLIED FULL PWR, VERIFIED ENG INSTS IN THE GREEN, BEGAN THE ROLL AND EVENTUALLY CLB OUT. WHEN ADDITIONAL RWY LENGTH BECAME UNAVAILABLE AND A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB WAS ESTABLISHED I PUT THE LNDG GEAR LEVER IN THE UP POS. THE RED 'GEAR UNSAFE' LIGHT CAME ON (THE IN TRANSITION PHASE) AND WHEN IT WENT OFF, I STILL HAD 3 GREEN AT 1300 FT MSL NOW, I CALL TWR TO VERIFY MY GEAR WAS UP. I KNEW THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND EXPECTED THAT ANSWER TO CONFIRM Y 3 GREEN INDICATORS. TWR DID COME BACK AND SAY THAT THE GEAR DID APPEAR TO BE DOWN. I CAME BACK AND SAID THAT MY GEAR IS DOWN WITH THE GEAR LEVER IN THE UP POS. I TOLD TWR THAT I WAS COMING BACK IN TO HAVE MY FLT SCHOOL CHK OUT THE PROB. TWR THEN CAME BACK AND SAID, ' WOULD YOU LIKE A TRUCK.' I REPLIED, 'SURE, WHY NOT?' I SAID THIS MAY BE BECAUSE I HAD A SHORT AND DID NOT TRUST THE 3 GREEN. I THEN HEADED BACK FOR THE ARPT AND WENT THROUGH A CHKLIST VERIFYING GEAR PUMP AND GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE IN AND TRIED RECYCLING THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES (5-6 TIMES) BEFORE LNDG AFTER 3 LOW APCHS. EVERY TIME I WENT TO RECYCLE THE LNDG GEAR THE 'IN-TRANSITION' (RED) LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF. BEFORE LNDG, I DID A GUMP AND PRELNDG CHK WITH THE GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POS. I ALSO DID RESET THE GEAR PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER. I LANDED SOFTLY, NO PROBS -- GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PROB TURNED OUT TO BE METAL FATIGUE ON BOTH SQUAT SWITCHES WHERE THE CIRCUIT DID NOT CLOSE WHEN PRESSURE WAS RELEASED OFF THE MAIN GEAR DURING TKOF.

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.