Narrative:

The problem started approximately 4 weeks prior (circuit breaker popped on gear motor). The breaker popped while in flight, not in activation. I had FBO replace the landing light and check the circuit breaker problem. I picked up plane several days later and flew approximately 4 hours before mishap, and breaker did not pop. My procedure is to go a bit low and pull up to slow the plane to 120 KTS, drop gear, put flaps down and turn on fuel pump, then trim for glide path. The green gear safe light comes on momentarily and then goes off (it has always worked that way). If under 120 KTS with throttle back the red unsafe light flashes and the horn goes off (there was no warning). I came down the glide path approximately 90 KTS and over the fence at 80 KTS without power, feeling sure all was in order. (I did not check the little window between the seats that shows gear position -- very difficult at night.) I had the red and white light all the way. As I was flaring out the plane tilted to the left and hit the runway. The tower called and said I was throwing a shower of sparks. I came back with 'my left main gear collapsed and the propeller stopped' as we slid to a stop. I reported no one hurt and no fire, shut off the master, popped open the door and told the daughter-in-law and children to get out quick (fire was a concern). We did and the man doing a routine runway check was there and said 'don't touch anything.' we checked for fuel leaks and there was not any so I got back in the plane to check gear handle and it was in the down position. I then checked the circuit board and the gear motor breaker had popped. There still was not any red flashing gear warning or horn. I then pushed in the breaker and the light, horn and gear all activated at the same time. I pulled it out quickly so the gear would not be forced, the light and horn continued to work. I then turned off the master, waited a few seconds and turned it back on again. The red light and horn again sounded. My daughter-in-law has been flying with me for over 14 yrs and both she and the children know what the gear and stall warning sounds are like. They did not go off at all on this flight. I questioned the FBO and he said they flexed the gear until the battery went dead and it never popped. The breaker only popped in flight -- never in activating the gear. My question and concern is why the warning devices did not work until I pushed the breaker in and out. Also, the visual is very difficult to see at any time. The only damage under the plane is the exhaust stack, step, left nose gear door and the antennae, a few scratches on the skin where the antennae are attached, and of course the propeller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LNDG ON SMA SEL WITH NO GEAR UNSAFE WARNING LIGHT OR HORN.

Narrative: THE PROB STARTED APPROX 4 WKS PRIOR (CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED ON GEAR MOTOR). THE BREAKER POPPED WHILE IN FLT, NOT IN ACTIVATION. I HAD FBO REPLACE THE LNDG LIGHT AND CHK THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PROB. I PICKED UP PLANE SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND FLEW APPROX 4 HRS BEFORE MISHAP, AND BREAKER DID NOT POP. MY PROC IS TO GO A BIT LOW AND PULL UP TO SLOW THE PLANE TO 120 KTS, DROP GEAR, PUT FLAPS DOWN AND TURN ON FUEL PUMP, THEN TRIM FOR GLIDE PATH. THE GREEN GEAR SAFE LIGHT COMES ON MOMENTARILY AND THEN GOES OFF (IT HAS ALWAYS WORKED THAT WAY). IF UNDER 120 KTS WITH THROTTLE BACK THE RED UNSAFE LIGHT FLASHES AND THE HORN GOES OFF (THERE WAS NO WARNING). I CAME DOWN THE GLIDE PATH APPROX 90 KTS AND OVER THE FENCE AT 80 KTS WITHOUT PWR, FEELING SURE ALL WAS IN ORDER. (I DID NOT CHK THE LITTLE WINDOW BTWN THE SEATS THAT SHOWS GEAR POS -- VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT.) I HAD THE RED AND WHITE LIGHT ALL THE WAY. AS I WAS FLARING OUT THE PLANE TILTED TO THE L AND HIT THE RWY. THE TWR CALLED AND SAID I WAS THROWING A SHOWER OF SPARKS. I CAME BACK WITH 'MY L MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE PROP STOPPED' AS WE SLID TO A STOP. I RPTED NO ONE HURT AND NO FIRE, SHUT OFF THE MASTER, POPPED OPEN THE DOOR AND TOLD THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND CHILDREN TO GET OUT QUICK (FIRE WAS A CONCERN). WE DID AND THE MAN DOING A ROUTINE RWY CHK WAS THERE AND SAID 'DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.' WE CHKED FOR FUEL LEAKS AND THERE WAS NOT ANY SO I GOT BACK IN THE PLANE TO CHK GEAR HANDLE AND IT WAS IN THE DOWN POS. I THEN CHKED THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND THE GEAR MOTOR BREAKER HAD POPPED. THERE STILL WAS NOT ANY RED FLASHING GEAR WARNING OR HORN. I THEN PUSHED IN THE BREAKER AND THE LIGHT, HORN AND GEAR ALL ACTIVATED AT THE SAME TIME. I PULLED IT OUT QUICKLY SO THE GEAR WOULD NOT BE FORCED, THE LIGHT AND HORN CONTINUED TO WORK. I THEN TURNED OFF THE MASTER, WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND TURNED IT BACK ON AGAIN. THE RED LIGHT AND HORN AGAIN SOUNDED. MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW HAS BEEN FLYING WITH ME FOR OVER 14 YRS AND BOTH SHE AND THE CHILDREN KNOW WHAT THE GEAR AND STALL WARNING SOUNDS ARE LIKE. THEY DID NOT GO OFF AT ALL ON THIS FLT. I QUESTIONED THE FBO AND HE SAID THEY FLEXED THE GEAR UNTIL THE BATTERY WENT DEAD AND IT NEVER POPPED. THE BREAKER ONLY POPPED IN FLT -- NEVER IN ACTIVATING THE GEAR. MY QUESTION AND CONCERN IS WHY THE WARNING DEVICES DID NOT WORK UNTIL I PUSHED THE BREAKER IN AND OUT. ALSO, THE VISUAL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT ANY TIME. THE ONLY DAMAGE UNDER THE PLANE IS THE EXHAUST STACK, STEP, L NOSE GEAR DOOR AND THE ANTENNAE, A FEW SCRATCHES ON THE SKIN WHERE THE ANTENNAE ARE ATTACHED, AND OF COURSE THE PROP.

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.