Narrative:

During takeoff from bdr, bridgeport, ct, landing gear failed to retract. After troubleshooting and following checklist, we called company operations to see where company wanted us to divert. By the time the company responded with a plan we were well into our route. We carried enough fuel to reach destination plus 45 mins reserve. We were told to divert to reading (rdg), but it appeared to be farther than our destination (bwi). Decision was made at avalo intersection (sie R-059, 17 DME) to proceed to bwi due to longer runways, known route (based on fuel decision), not knowing how we would be routed to rdg (based on fuel concern), availability of rescue equipment and maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated they were flying a BE02. He stated he raised the gear handle but the landing gear did not respond to the gear handle movement. The problem was not that the gear handle was not releasing to the up position. The reporter said that normally he tops off the fuel but the normal contract fuel people were not available. The fuel was not as much as it normally is. He said the FAA believes he landed at baltimore with 80 pounds in each tank. The airplane burns 800 pounds per hour. The reporter claims he had at least 300 pounds in each tank on landing at bwi. That is 3/4 hour and 1/2 hour is minimum reserve for VFR part 135 day. The people who provide the fuel are competitors. They are the reason the FAA thinks he landed below minimum fuel. The reporter states he can establish how much he departed with and how long he flew at 180 KTS and the power settings and fuel flow to establish he had 600 pounds fuel and 300 pounds fuel in each tank. The reporter stated the normal scheduled time is 1 hour 20 mins at 220 KTS indicated, his flying time was 1 hour 25 mins at 180 KTS indicated which is the maximum gear down speed. He stated they had good tailwinds. The reporter stated the company procedures in the event the gear would not retract did not say to return and land. The BE02 procedures in the event the gear did not retract did not say to return and land. The reporter stated the FAA is also upset because there are no single engine service ceiling charts for gear down flight along his route. His route was all at or close to sea level. Callback conversation with reporter acn 333472 revealed the following information: after takeoff the gear handle came up but the landing gear didn't. The reporter stated he was flying and the captain was working the radios. The captain talked to bdr company operations who talked to company maintenance. He said the communication took a long time -- almost an hour before company came back with the decision to fly the airplane to reading. By then they were around avalo and baltimore looked closer. The reporter stated that both he and the captain were suspended for 2 weeks to avoid having the FAA take certificate action. The reporter stated the FAA has taken certificate action against the captain anyway. The reporter did not know on what basis the FAA was taking certificate action. The reporter stated they did have their 45 mins fuel on landing at bwi. The reporter stated they went right by philadelphia and lack of fuel was not a problem and performance with gear down was not a problem and would not be with an engine out either.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT ON TKOF OUT OF BDR. THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY TOWARD HIS DISPATCHED DEST WITH THE GEAR DOWN WHILE AWAITING COMPANY RESPONSE RATHER THAN RETURN AND LAND AT BDR. BY THE TIME COMPANY SUGGESTED TO DIVERT TO READING WHICH TOOK ABOUT AN HR THE ORIGINAL DEST APPEARED MORE RATIONAL BEING ONLY 25 MINS AWAY. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: DURING TKOF FROM BDR, BRIDGEPORT, CT, LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING AND FOLLOWING CHKLIST, WE CALLED COMPANY OPS TO SEE WHERE COMPANY WANTED US TO DIVERT. BY THE TIME THE COMPANY RESPONDED WITH A PLAN WE WERE WELL INTO OUR RTE. WE CARRIED ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH DEST PLUS 45 MINS RESERVE. WE WERE TOLD TO DIVERT TO READING (RDG), BUT IT APPEARED TO BE FARTHER THAN OUR DEST (BWI). DECISION WAS MADE AT AVALO INTXN (SIE R-059, 17 DME) TO PROCEED TO BWI DUE TO LONGER RWYS, KNOWN RTE (BASED ON FUEL DECISION), NOT KNOWING HOW WE WOULD BE ROUTED TO RDG (BASED ON FUEL CONCERN), AVAILABILITY OF RESCUE EQUIP AND MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THEY WERE FLYING A BE02. HE STATED HE RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE BUT THE LNDG GEAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE GEAR HANDLE MOVEMENT. THE PROB WAS NOT THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS NOT RELEASING TO THE UP POS. THE RPTR SAID THAT NORMALLY HE TOPS OFF THE FUEL BUT THE NORMAL CONTRACT FUEL PEOPLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FUEL WAS NOT AS MUCH AS IT NORMALLY IS. HE SAID THE FAA BELIEVES HE LANDED AT BALTIMORE WITH 80 LBS IN EACH TANK. THE AIRPLANE BURNS 800 LBS PER HR. THE RPTR CLAIMS HE HAD AT LEAST 300 LBS IN EACH TANK ON LNDG AT BWI. THAT IS 3/4 HR AND 1/2 HR IS MINIMUM RESERVE FOR VFR PART 135 DAY. THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THE FUEL ARE COMPETITORS. THEY ARE THE REASON THE FAA THINKS HE LANDED BELOW MINIMUM FUEL. THE RPTR STATES HE CAN ESTABLISH HOW MUCH HE DEPARTED WITH AND HOW LONG HE FLEW AT 180 KTS AND THE PWR SETTINGS AND FUEL FLOW TO ESTABLISH HE HAD 600 LBS FUEL AND 300 LBS FUEL IN EACH TANK. THE RPTR STATED THE NORMAL SCHEDULED TIME IS 1 HR 20 MINS AT 220 KTS INDICATED, HIS FLYING TIME WAS 1 HR 25 MINS AT 180 KTS INDICATED WHICH IS THE MAX GEAR DOWN SPD. HE STATED THEY HAD GOOD TAILWINDS. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY PROCS IN THE EVENT THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT DID NOT SAY TO RETURN AND LAND. THE BE02 PROCS IN THE EVENT THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT DID NOT SAY TO RETURN AND LAND. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA IS ALSO UPSET BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SINGLE ENG SVC CEILING CHARTS FOR GEAR DOWN FLT ALONG HIS RTE. HIS RTE WAS ALL AT OR CLOSE TO SEA LEVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 333472 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER TKOF THE GEAR HANDLE CAME UP BUT THE LNDG GEAR DIDN'T. THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. THE CAPT TALKED TO BDR COMPANY OPS WHO TALKED TO COMPANY MAINT. HE SAID THE COM TOOK A LONG TIME -- ALMOST AN HR BEFORE COMPANY CAME BACK WITH THE DECISION TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO READING. BY THEN THEY WERE AROUND AVALO AND BALTIMORE LOOKED CLOSER. THE RPTR STATED THAT BOTH HE AND THE CAPT WERE SUSPENDED FOR 2 WKS TO AVOID HAVING THE FAA TAKE CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS TAKEN CERTIFICATE ACTION AGAINST THE CAPT ANYWAY. THE RPTR DID NOT KNOW ON WHAT BASIS THE FAA WAS TAKING CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR STATED THEY DID HAVE THEIR 45 MINS FUEL ON LNDG AT BWI. THE RPTR STATED THEY WENT RIGHT BY PHILADELPHIA AND LACK OF FUEL WAS NOT A PROB AND PERFORMANCE WITH GEAR DOWN WAS NOT A PROB AND WOULD NOT BE WITH AN ENG OUT EITHER.

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.