Narrative:

A company aircraft had to use the emergency gear extension system to put the gear down. When they came in to land, tower told them their gear was at 90 degree angle and not straight, so they went around. They were on downwind and we were on downwind. ATC asked us to take a look at his gear. We were in an emergency situation so we did. At no time were we above or below him. We slowed down, came up on his left side about 500 ft away same altitude. We told him it looked fine. We both came in and landed without incident. Now the FAA might violate us. I would want the same thing done for me if I would have been in that situation. We saved lives. We used every resource affordable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA did investigate this incident and concluded that it was more help to safety than a problem since it helped ensure the safety of the other aircraft's passenger. If the gear had been misaligned, the runway could have been foamed and other precautions taken. The radar tapes did disclose that the reporter was off to one side and slightly below the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR MLG WAS ASKED BY THE TWR CTLR TO FLY ALONGSIDE ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO SEE IF THE GEAR WAS PROPERLY EXTENDED AND ALIGNED. THE OTHER ACFT HAD USED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PRIOR TO THE FIRST LNDG ATTEMPT WHEN THE TWR ADVISED THEM THAT THE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR ALIGNED PROPERLY AND TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: A COMPANY ACFT HAD TO USE THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION SYS TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN. WHEN THEY CAME IN TO LAND, TWR TOLD THEM THEIR GEAR WAS AT 90 DEG ANGLE AND NOT STRAIGHT, SO THEY WENT AROUND. THEY WERE ON DOWNWIND AND WE WERE ON DOWNWIND. ATC ASKED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT HIS GEAR. WE WERE IN AN EMER SIT SO WE DID. AT NO TIME WERE WE ABOVE OR BELOW HIM. WE SLOWED DOWN, CAME UP ON HIS L SIDE ABOUT 500 FT AWAY SAME ALT. WE TOLD HIM IT LOOKED FINE. WE BOTH CAME IN AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOW THE FAA MIGHT VIOLATE US. I WOULD WANT THE SAME THING DONE FOR ME IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT SIT. WE SAVED LIVES. WE USED EVERY RESOURCE AFFORDABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA DID INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS MORE HELP TO SAFETY THAN A PROB SINCE IT HELPED ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER ACFT'S PAX. IF THE GEAR HAD BEEN MISALIGNED, THE RWY COULD HAVE BEEN FOAMED AND OTHER PRECAUTIONS TAKEN. THE RADAR TAPES DID DISCLOSE THAT THE RPTR WAS OFF TO ONE SIDE AND SLIGHTLY BELOW THE OTHER ACFT.

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.