Narrative:

I took off from palomar airport, carlsbad, ca. I asked for and was cleared for a left crosswind departure. I was over the batiguitas lagoon, about 4 mins into the flight when I noticed the landing gear up yellow light was not on. I reached for the gear breaker switch and found that it had tripped so I reset same. I then noticed that the alternator was showing a discharge. I did a 180 degree turn and headed back for the palomar airport. Before I could complete my turn the lights on the control panel started flickering and then the entire panel went out including all of the radios. I entered the traffic pattern at the airport and exercised the emergency procedures whereby I observed the flow of traffic and did a low flyby of the tower wagging my wings. I did this 3 times looking for a light signal from the tower. I did not see any light signals, and tried to get my gear down using the manual extension. Although I followed the manual extension procedure the gear did not break free until my third pass on downwind, and wound up with the gear not falling into down and locked position. I had reduced my airspeed to 90 mph, but the gear would still not drop and lock in position. I felt the safest action was to land gear up so I cut the master switch turned off the ignition, put the fuel selector valve to off, pulled the power and mixture, and landed at the slowest possible speed. This incident caused no structural damage - it will be necessary to overhaul the engine due to the propeller strike, and to re-skin the belly under the cockpit. The antennas will also have to be replaced along with the propeller. Prior to takeoff all seemed normal as I went through my checklist. The runup was normal as well. The aircraft was towed to FBO who took the floorboards out for inspection purposes. Upon inspection it was found that a small spring used for holding the emergency extension panel in place had come loose and bound the gear from going down. A small pin in the gear extension system also seemed to be too long and may have bound the gear up as it tried to travel through the guides. It appears possible that the aforementioned spring may have prevented the gear from going all the way up and locked causing the gear motor solenoid to keep running, thus the discharge on the alternator gauge, and the alternator breaker was also found to have tripped. It may have also drained the battery. Earlier in the day I had the LORAN updated by XXXX radio at their palomar location. They also checked out my ADF. This was the reason for my taking the plane to palomar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG DUE TO INABILITY TO EXTEND AND LOCK.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM PALOMAR ARPT, CARLSBAD, CA. I ASKED FOR AND WAS CLRED FOR A L XWIND DEP. I WAS OVER THE BATIGUITAS LAGOON, ABOUT 4 MINS INTO THE FLT WHEN I NOTICED THE LNDG GEAR UP YELLOW LIGHT WAS NOT ON. I REACHED FOR THE GEAR BREAKER SWITCH AND FOUND THAT IT HAD TRIPPED SO I RESET SAME. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS SHOWING A DISCHARGE. I DID A 180 DEG TURN AND HEADED BACK FOR THE PALOMAR ARPT. BEFORE I COULD COMPLETE MY TURN THE LIGHTS ON THE CTL PANEL STARTED FLICKERING AND THEN THE ENTIRE PANEL WENT OUT INCLUDING ALL OF THE RADIOS. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AT THE ARPT AND EXERCISED THE EMER PROCS WHEREBY I OBSERVED THE FLOW OF TFC AND DID A LOW FLYBY OF THE TWR WAGGING MY WINGS. I DID THIS 3 TIMES LOOKING FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR. I DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS, AND TRIED TO GET MY GEAR DOWN USING THE MANUAL EXTENSION. ALTHOUGH I FOLLOWED THE MANUAL EXTENSION PROC THE GEAR DID NOT BREAK FREE UNTIL MY THIRD PASS ON DOWNWIND, AND WOUND UP WITH THE GEAR NOT FALLING INTO DOWN AND LOCKED POS. I HAD REDUCED MY AIRSPD TO 90 MPH, BUT THE GEAR WOULD STILL NOT DROP AND LOCK IN POS. I FELT THE SAFEST ACTION WAS TO LAND GEAR UP SO I CUT THE MASTER SWITCH TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, PUT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO OFF, PULLED THE PWR AND MIXTURE, AND LANDED AT THE SLOWEST POSSIBLE SPD. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE - IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO OVERHAUL THE ENG DUE TO THE PROP STRIKE, AND TO RE-SKIN THE BELLY UNDER THE COCKPIT. THE ANTENNAS WILL ALSO HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE PROP. PRIOR TO TKOF ALL SEEMED NORMAL AS I WENT THROUGH MY CHKLIST. THE RUNUP WAS NORMAL AS WELL. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO FBO WHO TOOK THE FLOORBOARDS OUT FOR INSPECTION PURPOSES. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT A SMALL SPRING USED FOR HOLDING THE EMER EXTENSION PANEL IN PLACE HAD COME LOOSE AND BOUND THE GEAR FROM GOING DOWN. A SMALL PIN IN THE GEAR EXTENSION SYS ALSO SEEMED TO BE TOO LONG AND MAY HAVE BOUND THE GEAR UP AS IT TRIED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE GUIDES. IT APPEARS POSSIBLE THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED SPRING MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE GEAR FROM GOING ALL THE WAY UP AND LOCKED CAUSING THE GEAR MOTOR SOLENOID TO KEEP RUNNING, THUS THE DISCHARGE ON THE ALTERNATOR GAUGE, AND THE ALTERNATOR BREAKER WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE TRIPPED. IT MAY HAVE ALSO DRAINED THE BATTERY. EARLIER IN THE DAY I HAD THE LORAN UPDATED BY XXXX RADIO AT THEIR PALOMAR LOCATION. THEY ALSO CHKED OUT MY ADF. THIS WAS THE REASON FOR MY TAKING THE PLANE TO PALOMAR.

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.