Narrative:

On final approach I called for gear down at 2500 ft AGL. Gear lowered normally with good hydraulic pressures and quantities. Main gear door light remained on, indicating a possible gear door problem. Suspected a bad microswitch, since we had the light remain on following engine start and prior to taxi before last takeoff. Maintenance confirmed doors were up and were able to extinguish light. Called for abnormal checklist while waiting for door light to go out. (Sometimes it takes several seconds for light to extinguish.) at 1000 ft AGL light was still illuminated, so I directed copilot to pull emergency extension lever which placed main gear doors to hydraulic bypass. This allowed doors to 'fly' down to 50 KTS, at which point doors contacted runway surface. Doors have skid plates designed to absorb impact forces and prevent damage. Landing was normal and I elected to roll to end of runway. Advised tower and they sent landing traffic behind us around. Told tower we would remain at departure end of 9500 ft long runway until our gear was pinned and gear doors were retracted. Process took 35 mins, during which time runway was closed. Did not declare emergency or request priority handling. Found left gear door skid plate had failed during landing roll and left gear door sustained sheet metal damage. Canceled outbound flight. Maintenance performed sheet metal repair and we performed gear down maintenance ferry to home base next day. Aircraft had just returned from 'C' check heavy maintenance. Problem due to gear door microswitch out of adjustment. Will recommend changes to abnormal checklist to include fact doors will likely sustain some damage. Also consider minimizing landing roll to reduce time doors are in contact with runway surface. Add explanatory note regarding a visual scan of doors through periscope viewer and picture of what properly positioned doors look like. Also recommend approach be abandoned if problem not corrected by 1000 ft AGL. Probably rushed things to avoid going around, but did not anticipate any damage to aircraft. Old adage 'one peek is worth 1000 xchks' proved true during this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR DOOR IS DAMAGED DURING LNDG ROLLOUT.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH I CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AT 2500 FT AGL. GEAR LOWERED NORMALLY WITH GOOD HYD PRESSURES AND QUANTITIES. MAIN GEAR DOOR LIGHT REMAINED ON, INDICATING A POSSIBLE GEAR DOOR PROB. SUSPECTED A BAD MICROSWITCH, SINCE WE HAD THE LIGHT REMAIN ON FOLLOWING ENG START AND PRIOR TO TAXI BEFORE LAST TKOF. MAINT CONFIRMED DOORS WERE UP AND WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH LIGHT. CALLED FOR ABNORMAL CHKLIST WHILE WAITING FOR DOOR LIGHT TO GO OUT. (SOMETIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL SECONDS FOR LIGHT TO EXTINGUISH.) AT 1000 FT AGL LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED, SO I DIRECTED COPLT TO PULL EMER EXTENSION LEVER WHICH PLACED MAIN GEAR DOORS TO HYD BYPASS. THIS ALLOWED DOORS TO 'FLY' DOWN TO 50 KTS, AT WHICH POINT DOORS CONTACTED RWY SURFACE. DOORS HAVE SKID PLATES DESIGNED TO ABSORB IMPACT FORCES AND PREVENT DAMAGE. LNDG WAS NORMAL AND I ELECTED TO ROLL TO END OF RWY. ADVISED TWR AND THEY SENT LNDG TFC BEHIND US AROUND. TOLD TWR WE WOULD REMAIN AT DEP END OF 9500 FT LONG RWY UNTIL OUR GEAR WAS PINNED AND GEAR DOORS WERE RETRACTED. PROCESS TOOK 35 MINS, DURING WHICH TIME RWY WAS CLOSED. DID NOT DECLARE EMER OR REQUEST PRIORITY HANDLING. FOUND L GEAR DOOR SKID PLATE HAD FAILED DURING LNDG ROLL AND L GEAR DOOR SUSTAINED SHEET METAL DAMAGE. CANCELED OUTBOUND FLT. MAINT PERFORMED SHEET METAL REPAIR AND WE PERFORMED GEAR DOWN MAINT FERRY TO HOME BASE NEXT DAY. ACFT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM 'C' CHK HVY MAINT. PROB DUE TO GEAR DOOR MICROSWITCH OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. WILL RECOMMEND CHANGES TO ABNORMAL CHKLIST TO INCLUDE FACT DOORS WILL LIKELY SUSTAIN SOME DAMAGE. ALSO CONSIDER MINIMIZING LNDG ROLL TO REDUCE TIME DOORS ARE IN CONTACT WITH RWY SURFACE. ADD EXPLANATORY NOTE REGARDING A VISUAL SCAN OF DOORS THROUGH PERISCOPE VIEWER AND PICTURE OF WHAT PROPERLY POSITIONED DOORS LOOK LIKE. ALSO RECOMMEND APCH BE ABANDONED IF PROB NOT CORRECTED BY 1000 FT AGL. PROBABLY RUSHED THINGS TO AVOID GOING AROUND, BUT DID NOT ANTICIPATE ANY DAMAGE TO ACFT. OLD ADAGE 'ONE PEEK IS WORTH 1000 XCHKS' PROVED TRUE DURING THIS INCIDENT.

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.