Narrative:

Once established on the final approach course to runway 20L pdk, I attempted to put down the landing gear. The gear appeared to operate normally, but the right main gear light was not illuminated, however, all other methods of indicating that the gear was locked down were functioning normally. Following the poh procedures I recycled the gear and I also tested the gear locked horns for proper operation. After lowering the gear again 4 of the 5 indication system showed that the gear was in fact locked down, symptoms of an indicating system problem. I advised tower of the situation, and executed a fly-by of the tower and they advised the gear was also down. Therefore, I went missed approach, leaving the gear down, and received vectors for another approach. After executing the ILS runway 20L approach again, I carefully set the aircraft down when the right main landing gear collapsed. I managed to keep the aircraft relatively straight resulting in only minor damage, as classified by the FAA. In speaking with the FAA the following day, they said when the mechanics lifted the aircraft the gear came right down, but the downlock hook didn't function properly. I had just picked up this aircraft from the paint shop where they apparently got too much overspray on the gear resulting in the hook binding. There was nothing else I could have done. It is just sad that this had to happen at all because the plane looked so good. To avoid something from happening like this in the future, I think paint shops should jack up the aircraft and exercise the landing gear several times before leaving to ensure proper operation. Thankfully, no one was injured. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was a piper seminole. This was a reputable paint shop so there should have been no problem. The mechanic who is making the repairs on the aircraft indicated that problems are not unusual after a paint job. He suggests that everyone should do a post paint inspection of the aircraft. Reporter wishes he had been told this before he picked it up. Unfortunately the ground personnel who removed the aircraft from the runway were not skilled and caused the real damage to the aircraft. A wing was torn up and many dents were created. Reporter's insurance company is dealing with both the paint shop and the ground handling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER SEMINOLE ACFT JUST RETURNING FROM PAINT SHOP HAS GEAR PROB ON APCH TO LNDG. PLT TROUBLESHOOTS TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROB. GEAR APPEARS TO BE DOWN, BUT INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT IS NOT LOCKED. ON LNDG, R MAIN COLLAPSES.

Narrative: ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 20L PDK, I ATTEMPTED TO PUT DOWN THE LNDG GEAR. THE GEAR APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY, BUT THE R MAIN GEAR LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER, ALL OTHER METHODS OF INDICATING THAT THE GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. FOLLOWING THE POH PROCS I RECYCLED THE GEAR AND I ALSO TESTED THE GEAR LOCKED HORNS FOR PROPER OP. AFTER LOWERING THE GEAR AGAIN 4 OF THE 5 INDICATION SYS SHOWED THAT THE GEAR WAS IN FACT LOCKED DOWN, SYMPTOMS OF AN INDICATING SYS PROB. I ADVISED TWR OF THE SIT, AND EXECUTED A FLY-BY OF THE TWR AND THEY ADVISED THE GEAR WAS ALSO DOWN. THEREFORE, I WENT MISSED APCH, LEAVING THE GEAR DOWN, AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR ANOTHER APCH. AFTER EXECUTING THE ILS RWY 20L APCH AGAIN, I CAREFULLY SET THE ACFT DOWN WHEN THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED. I MANAGED TO KEEP THE ACFT RELATIVELY STRAIGHT RESULTING IN ONLY MINOR DAMAGE, AS CLASSIFIED BY THE FAA. IN SPEAKING WITH THE FAA THE FOLLOWING DAY, THEY SAID WHEN THE MECHS LIFTED THE ACFT THE GEAR CAME RIGHT DOWN, BUT THE DOWNLOCK HOOK DIDN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. I HAD JUST PICKED UP THIS ACFT FROM THE PAINT SHOP WHERE THEY APPARENTLY GOT TOO MUCH OVERSPRAY ON THE GEAR RESULTING IN THE HOOK BINDING. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE. IT IS JUST SAD THAT THIS HAD TO HAPPEN AT ALL BECAUSE THE PLANE LOOKED SO GOOD. TO AVOID SOMETHING FROM HAPPENING LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE, I THINK PAINT SHOPS SHOULD JACK UP THE ACFT AND EXERCISE THE LNDG GEAR SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE LEAVING TO ENSURE PROPER OP. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A PIPER SEMINOLE. THIS WAS A REPUTABLE PAINT SHOP SO THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. THE MECH WHO IS MAKING THE REPAIRS ON THE ACFT INDICATED THAT PROBS ARE NOT UNUSUAL AFTER A PAINT JOB. HE SUGGESTS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD DO A POST PAINT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. RPTR WISHES HE HAD BEEN TOLD THIS BEFORE HE PICKED IT UP. UNFORTUNATELY THE GND PERSONNEL WHO REMOVED THE ACFT FROM THE RWY WERE NOT SKILLED AND CAUSED THE REAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. A WING WAS TORN UP AND MANY DENTS WERE CREATED. RPTR'S INSURANCE COMPANY IS DEALING WITH BOTH THE PAINT SHOP AND THE GND HANDLING.

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.