Narrative:

We departed wjf with a search grid assignment in the mt whitney area. Our plan was to enter grid at 12500 ft. While climbing through 7000-8000 ft, it seemed the aircraft performance was not what it should be. Engine power was norm and all readings were normal, but climb rate was only about 200 FPM. At that point I noticed there was no light indication on the landing gear, neither safe nor unsafe. The light bulb checked ok. A discussion with the rest of crew led us to believe that possibly the gear was partially extended. Our return and subsequent low pass by the wjf tower was confirmed. Our next plan was to attempt to extend the gear by the alternate method. The emergency checklist was followed and aircraft manual consulted to no avail. A chase plane was sent up with a mechanic on board familiar with beech aircraft. He reviewed what had been done and made several additional recommendations which were tried without success. We decided to pick a field where we would not tie up traffic and that also had fire equipment. Nzj consented to our request for emergency landing. Gear up landing was accomplished at nzj with no injuries to crew and minimal damage to aircraft. This aircraft had an annual inspection completed by former owner 15 hours before incident. About 5 hours before incident, gear motor failed and necessitated extending gear by alternate method successfully. As in all incidents of this nature, especially if it involves possible bodily injury and damage to one's aircraft, one always wonders whether everything that could have been done, had been. The day of incident I felt confident it had. The next day I remembered that while en route from wjf to nzj, I passed right over ont. Mypoint is, the beechcraft facility is located at ont. There was a possible source of aid that I did not utilize. My airline training emphasized that and I did not take advantage of additional help from a well informed source.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RPTR REGRETS OVERFLYING AN ACFT DEALER THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED HIM IN HIS HR OF NEED. LNDG GEAR EXTENSION PROB -- GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED WJF WITH A SEARCH GRID ASSIGNMENT IN THE MT WHITNEY AREA. OUR PLAN WAS TO ENTER GRID AT 12500 FT. WHILE CLBING THROUGH 7000-8000 FT, IT SEEMED THE ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE. ENG PWR WAS NORM AND ALL READINGS WERE NORMAL, BUT CLB RATE WAS ONLY ABOUT 200 FPM. AT THAT POINT I NOTICED THERE WAS NO LIGHT INDICATION ON THE LNDG GEAR, NEITHER SAFE NOR UNSAFE. THE LIGHT BULB CHKED OK. A DISCUSSION WITH THE REST OF CREW LED US TO BELIEVE THAT POSSIBLY THE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. OUR RETURN AND SUBSEQUENT LOW PASS BY THE WJF TWR WAS CONFIRMED. OUR NEXT PLAN WAS TO ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE GEAR BY THE ALTERNATE METHOD. THE EMER CHKLIST WAS FOLLOWED AND ACFT MANUAL CONSULTED TO NO AVAIL. A CHASE PLANE WAS SENT UP WITH A MECH ON BOARD FAMILIAR WITH BEECH ACFT. HE REVIEWED WHAT HAD BEEN DONE AND MADE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH WERE TRIED WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE DECIDED TO PICK A FIELD WHERE WE WOULD NOT TIE UP TFC AND THAT ALSO HAD FIRE EQUIPMENT. NZJ CONSENTED TO OUR REQUEST FOR EMER LNDG. GEAR UP LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT NZJ WITH NO INJURIES TO CREW AND MINIMAL DAMAGE TO ACFT. THIS ACFT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED BY FORMER OWNER 15 HRS BEFORE INCIDENT. ABOUT 5 HRS BEFORE INCIDENT, GEAR MOTOR FAILED AND NECESSITATED EXTENDING GEAR BY ALTERNATE METHOD SUCCESSFULLY. AS IN ALL INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE, ESPECIALLY IF IT INVOLVES POSSIBLE BODILY INJURY AND DAMAGE TO ONE'S ACFT, ONE ALWAYS WONDERS WHETHER EVERYTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE, HAD BEEN. THE DAY OF INCIDENT I FELT CONFIDENT IT HAD. THE NEXT DAY I REMEMBERED THAT WHILE ENRTE FROM WJF TO NZJ, I PASSED RIGHT OVER ONT. MYPOINT IS, THE BEECHCRAFT FAC IS LOCATED AT ONT. THERE WAS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF AID THAT I DID NOT UTILIZE. MY AIRLINE TRAINING EMPHASIZED THAT AND I DID NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADDITIONAL HELP FROM A WELL INFORMED SOURCE.

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.