Narrative:

Flight X feb/sun/95 departed flint michigan for pittsburgh, PA, at XA00 pm. On approach (ILS 28R) to pittsburgh we selected the landing gear to the down position just prior to the OM. The landing gear would not come down at all. We executed missed approach and asked for some airspace north of the elwood city VOR in order to work on our gear problem. We followed QRH procedures and were able to successfully extend the gear using the electrical override system. We were able to obtain 6 green (gear down) lights. We asked for vectors back to the approach for pittsburgh. As a precaution, I asked for the emergency trucks to be standing by the runway in case the gear control module was giving us any sort of false gear down indication. Inside the OM the tower controller cleared another commuter for departure. He then called a air carrier jet to taxi into position and hold, and be ready for an immediate departure. The air carrier jet did not respond to the tower's call. The controller called the jet again, with no response from the jet. On the 3RD call the jet responded and my aircraft was on about 1 1/2 mi final. I thought the controller would tell the jet to disregard and hold short of runway 28R. To our amazement he cleared the dc-9 jet for an immediate takeoff. The dc-9 jet took a little longer than usual to line up on the runway and start his takeoff roll. When he finally did I was on about a 1/4 mi final. When I got down to about 200 ft AGL the dc-9 was still rolling on the ground. When I was a little less than 100 ft AGL, the dc-9 was just rotating. At this point I encountered jet blast runway debris and wake. Our aircraft banked sharply left and right and pitched up and down. In order to avoid a catastrophic landing I was forced to add power and go around with the gear stuck in the down position. There was not adequate separation and I could have led to disaster. What if the dc-9 had aborted takeoff, was the controller expecting me to land right behind him and possible collide?? After the go around, the controller said I would be on about an 18 mi final. I told him that was unacceptable due to the fact I had been at a low altitude too long already, burning a lot of fuel. He then took some aircraft off the approach and got us in a log quicker. We landed uneventfully. The gear was obviously down, no passenger injuries or problems. Total flight time was 1 hour 46 mins. We did land with adequate fuel reserves. Tower controller had no business clearing that jet for departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LNDG GEAR LOWERED VIA EMER METHODS THAT CANNOT BE RAISED, FLC DOES NOT DECLARE AN EMER, AND, HAS TO BALK THE LNDG INTO THE WAKE OF A DEPARTING JET.

Narrative: FLT X FEB/SUN/95 DEPARTED FLINT MICHIGAN FOR PITTSBURGH, PA, AT XA00 PM. ON APCH (ILS 28R) TO PITTSBURGH WE SELECTED THE LNDG GEAR TO THE DOWN POS JUST PRIOR TO THE OM. THE LNDG GEAR WOULD NOT COME DOWN AT ALL. WE EXECUTED MISSED APCH AND ASKED FOR SOME AIRSPACE N OF THE ELWOOD CITY VOR IN ORDER TO WORK ON OUR GEAR PROB. WE FOLLOWED QRH PROCS AND WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY EXTEND THE GEAR USING THE ELECTRICAL OVERRIDE SYS. WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN 6 GREEN (GEAR DOWN) LIGHTS. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS BACK TO THE APCH FOR PITTSBURGH. AS A PRECAUTION, I ASKED FOR THE EMER TRUCKS TO BE STANDING BY THE RWY IN CASE THE GEAR CTL MODULE WAS GIVING US ANY SORT OF FALSE GEAR DOWN INDICATION. INSIDE THE OM THE TWR CTLR CLRED ANOTHER COMMUTER FOR DEP. HE THEN CALLED A ACR JET TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, AND BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP. THE ACR JET DID NOT RESPOND TO THE TWR'S CALL. THE CTLR CALLED THE JET AGAIN, WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE JET. ON THE 3RD CALL THE JET RESPONDED AND MY ACFT WAS ON ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FINAL. I THOUGHT THE CTLR WOULD TELL THE JET TO DISREGARD AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28R. TO OUR AMAZEMENT HE CLRED THE DC-9 JET FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. THE DC-9 JET TOOK A LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL TO LINE UP ON THE RWY AND START HIS TKOF ROLL. WHEN HE FINALLY DID I WAS ON ABOUT A 1/4 MI FINAL. WHEN I GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL THE DC-9 WAS STILL ROLLING ON THE GND. WHEN I WAS A LITTLE LESS THAN 100 FT AGL, THE DC-9 WAS JUST ROTATING. AT THIS POINT I ENCOUNTERED JET BLAST RWY DEBRIS AND WAKE. OUR ACFT BANKED SHARPLY L AND R AND PITCHED UP AND DOWN. IN ORDER TO AVOID A CATASTROPHIC LNDG I WAS FORCED TO ADD PWR AND GAR WITH THE GEAR STUCK IN THE DOWN POS. THERE WAS NOT ADEQUATE SEPARATION AND I COULD HAVE LED TO DISASTER. WHAT IF THE DC-9 HAD ABORTED TKOF, WAS THE CTLR EXPECTING ME TO LAND RIGHT BEHIND HIM AND POSSIBLE COLLIDE?? AFTER THE GAR, THE CTLR SAID I WOULD BE ON ABOUT AN 18 MI FINAL. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE DUE TO THE FACT I HAD BEEN AT A LOW ALT TOO LONG ALREADY, BURNING A LOT OF FUEL. HE THEN TOOK SOME ACFT OFF THE APCH AND GOT US IN A LOG QUICKER. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE GEAR WAS OBVIOUSLY DOWN, NO PAX INJURIES OR PROBS. TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 1 HR 46 MINS. WE DID LAND WITH ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES. TWR CTLR HAD NO BUSINESS CLRING THAT JET FOR DEP.

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.