A piper PA31-350 damaged the right main landing gear on takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	360356
Time
Date	199701
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cox
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : boi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	350356
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On jan 1997, after departing myak to eyw in aircraft PA31- 350. I was unable to cycle the right landing gear. I assessed that congo town was not a viable landing strip because no one was on the ground to advise of the extent of the damage if any prior to landing on a fly-by and also because of the lack of fire rescue at myak. After takeoff I assessed the aircraft was responding to flight controls with no indication of problem other than decreased airspeed due to the extension of the landing gear. I contacted ATC and told them of my situation. ATC advised that tamiami airport was the closest to land but did not know if fire rescue was available at the airport. I then decided that the safest course of action was to go to eyw where fire rescue was available and the winds were favorable. The landing at key west was uneventful. Pilots must be made aware of poor landing strips in the ba islands. After landing it was decided that a pothole or some damage to the runway in myak caused damage to the right landing gear. Pilot acted according to FARS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA31-350 DAMAGED THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR ON TKOF.

Narrative: ON JAN 1997, AFTER DEPARTING MYAK TO EYW IN ACFT PA31- 350. I WAS UNABLE TO CYCLE THE R LNDG GEAR. I ASSESSED THAT CONGO TOWN WAS NOT A VIABLE LNDG STRIP BECAUSE NO ONE WAS ON THE GND TO ADVISE OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE IF ANY PRIOR TO LNDG ON A FLY-BY AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FIRE RESCUE AT MYAK. AFTER TKOF I ASSESSED THE ACFT WAS RESPONDING TO FLT CTLS WITH NO INDICATION OF PROB OTHER THAN DECREASED AIRSPD DUE TO THE EXTENSION OF THE LNDG GEAR. I CONTACTED ATC AND TOLD THEM OF MY SIT. ATC ADVISED THAT TAMIAMI ARPT WAS THE CLOSEST TO LAND BUT DID NOT KNOW IF FIRE RESCUE WAS AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT. I THEN DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO GO TO EYW WHERE FIRE RESCUE WAS AVAILABLE AND THE WINDS WERE FAVORABLE. THE LNDG AT KEY WEST WAS UNEVENTFUL. PLTS MUST BE MADE AWARE OF POOR LNDG STRIPS IN THE BA ISLANDS. AFTER LNDG IT WAS DECIDED THAT A POTHOLE OR SOME DAMAGE TO THE RWY IN MYAK CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE R LNDG GEAR. PLT ACTED ACCORDING TO FARS.

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.