Unsafe gear indication.

Attributes
ACN	293746
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rno
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 261 flight time total : 2613 flight time type : 332
ASRS Report	293746
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After being cleared for the visual approach for runway 16L, I approached a 6 mi final and lowered the landing gear. The aircraft gear indication system indicated that the right main gear was not down and locked. Next I tried to 'recycle' the gear. Same result -- no right main gear down and locked indication. At about a 3 mi final I informed tower of the problem and my intention to break off the final approach to trouble-shoot the problem. The tower instructed me to maneuver east of the runway 16L final to trouble-shoot, which I did. At this time I noticed that the gear handle would not return to neutral on its own after extension. Also, the red gear unsafe light was illuminated. I brought the throttles back and got a gear warning horn. The green light itself was checked, to be normal. Next I tried to manually pump the gear down. This did not work either. Next I tried another recycle with a high power setting to give the hydro pumps more power. Next I tried positive g-loading. Finally I asked the tower for a 'flyby' on runway 16R. I was cleared for the low approach and the controller said that the gear appears to be down, and the gear doors appear to be open. Next, I declared an emergency and made a precautionary landing, landing on RWY16L with no right main gear green light. I also asked the tower to provide fire safety equipment for the landing. The landing was normal, so I taxied very slowly off the runway and to the ramp with the fire trucks following me. Upon further inspection of the right main, on the ramp, I realized the over-center drag linkage, was not locked. I called a certified mechanic and he inspected the gear and agreed that the right main was not locked. Next, he manually pulled the linkage over-center, and locked. Another detail, as soon as the engines were shut down, the gear warning horn came on, and persisted until the master switch was turned off. About 45 min afterwards, 2 FAA officials came to inspect the airplane and they spoke with me and filled out an 'occurrence form.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 16L, I APCHED A 6 MI FINAL AND LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. THE ACFT GEAR INDICATION SYS INDICATED THAT THE R MAIN GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. NEXT I TRIED TO 'RECYCLE' THE GEAR. SAME RESULT -- NO R MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. AT ABOUT A 3 MI FINAL I INFORMED TWR OF THE PROB AND MY INTENTION TO BREAK OFF THE FINAL APCH TO TROUBLE-SHOOT THE PROB. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO MANEUVER E OF THE RWY 16L FINAL TO TROUBLE-SHOOT, WHICH I DID. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WOULD NOT RETURN TO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN AFTER EXTENSION. ALSO, THE RED GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I BROUGHT THE THROTTLES BACK AND GOT A GEAR WARNING HORN. THE GREEN LIGHT ITSELF WAS CHKED, TO BE NORMAL. NEXT I TRIED TO MANUALLY PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THIS DID NOT WORK EITHER. NEXT I TRIED ANOTHER RECYCLE WITH A HIGH PWR SETTING TO GIVE THE HYDRO PUMPS MORE PWR. NEXT I TRIED POSITIVE G-LOADING. FINALLY I ASKED THE TWR FOR A 'FLYBY' ON RWY 16R. I WAS CLRED FOR THE LOW APCH AND THE CTLR SAID THAT THE GEAR APPEARS TO BE DOWN, AND THE GEAR DOORS APPEAR TO BE OPEN. NEXT, I DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG, LNDG ON RWY16L WITH NO R MAIN GEAR GREEN LIGHT. I ALSO ASKED THE TWR TO PROVIDE FIRE SAFETY EQUIP FOR THE LNDG. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL, SO I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY OFF THE RWY AND TO THE RAMP WITH THE FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOWING ME. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE R MAIN, ON THE RAMP, I REALIZED THE OVER-CTR DRAG LINKAGE, WAS NOT LOCKED. I CALLED A CERTIFIED MECH AND HE INSPECTED THE GEAR AND AGREED THAT THE R MAIN WAS NOT LOCKED. NEXT, HE MANUALLY PULLED THE LINKAGE OVER-CTR, AND LOCKED. ANOTHER DETAIL, AS SOON AS THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, THE GEAR WARNING HORN CAME ON, AND PERSISTED UNTIL THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. ABOUT 45 MIN AFTERWARDS, 2 FAA OFFICIALS CAME TO INSPECT THE AIRPLANE AND THEY SPOKE WITH ME AND FILLED OUT AN 'OCCURRENCE FORM.'

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.