Narrative:

The aircraft was signed off, the WX was perfect and I felt ready to fly. A week prior I had preflted the aircraft, drained the fuel sumps and filled and rotated the tires. The day of the flight I had plenty of time to do a good preflight. I did not notice any discrepancy except that I needed (wanted) to top off the fuel tanks. (I always fill them full.) after fueling we taxied back and did a good run-up. It had been a couple of months since the aircraft had been started or flown. Engines performed normally. We took off from ane for a local (within 20 mi) flight, retracted gear and slowly pulled back the power. Staying below the class B airspace at the proper speed was one of my concerns. The gear came up but even at that time I felt that something was not right. We then flew to stp airport for a look at the city and a touch and go. I obtained the ATIS, called my position and then later, a 3 mi final. They noticed that I was high and that was because I did not get a green gear down light when I placed the handle down. I tried to recycle because I thought I may have just had a switch not making contact. This did not work so I did a low approach so they could tell me what they saw. They saw the nose gear partially down. I wanted then to get out of their airspace since the airspace is much more crowded and closer to msp. I had my passenger read the emergency checklist and then just listened and thought through my actions. Then I reviewed them myself, then I went through again and tried to accomplish them. I was unsuccessful and I returned to ane for another tower fly-by. Same indications. I went up north away from the field to burn up the gas in the tanks closest to the cabin. I tried everything I could think of, called the tower to get additional information from an FBO, and had a chase plane look me over. I finally declared my emergency and came in and landed according to the handbook. I did try to stop my engines though I was able to feather both propellers and spin them horizontal with the starter. I landed and held the nose as long as I dared then set it down easy. The aircraft was not badly damaged and my passenger evacuate/evacuationed as I had briefed them. Crash fire rescue equipment was waiting and the airport was closed for a short time. I am not exactly sure why the doors on the gear were not sequenced with the gear itself. I did a thorough visual check of the gear, doors and gear well prior to flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C310 LANDS WITH THE NOSE GEAR PARTLY RETRACTED, LNDG ON MAINS ONLY AT ANE, MN.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF, THE WX WAS PERFECT AND I FELT READY TO FLY. A WK PRIOR I HAD PREFLTED THE ACFT, DRAINED THE FUEL SUMPS AND FILLED AND ROTATED THE TIRES. THE DAY OF THE FLT I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO DO A GOOD PREFLT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY DISCREPANCY EXCEPT THAT I NEEDED (WANTED) TO TOP OFF THE FUEL TANKS. (I ALWAYS FILL THEM FULL.) AFTER FUELING WE TAXIED BACK AND DID A GOOD RUN-UP. IT HAD BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE THE ACFT HAD BEEN STARTED OR FLOWN. ENGS PERFORMED NORMALLY. WE TOOK OFF FROM ANE FOR A LCL (WITHIN 20 MI) FLT, RETRACTED GEAR AND SLOWLY PULLED BACK THE PWR. STAYING BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT THE PROPER SPD WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS. THE GEAR CAME UP BUT EVEN AT THAT TIME I FELT THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. WE THEN FLEW TO STP ARPT FOR A LOOK AT THE CITY AND A TOUCH AND GO. I OBTAINED THE ATIS, CALLED MY POS AND THEN LATER, A 3 MI FINAL. THEY NOTICED THAT I WAS HIGH AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT GET A GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHT WHEN I PLACED THE HANDLE DOWN. I TRIED TO RECYCLE BECAUSE I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE JUST HAD A SWITCH NOT MAKING CONTACT. THIS DID NOT WORK SO I DID A LOW APCH SO THEY COULD TELL ME WHAT THEY SAW. THEY SAW THE NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY DOWN. I WANTED THEN TO GET OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE SINCE THE AIRSPACE IS MUCH MORE CROWDED AND CLOSER TO MSP. I HAD MY PAX READ THE EMER CHKLIST AND THEN JUST LISTENED AND THOUGHT THROUGH MY ACTIONS. THEN I REVIEWED THEM MYSELF, THEN I WENT THROUGH AGAIN AND TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH THEM. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND I RETURNED TO ANE FOR ANOTHER TWR FLY-BY. SAME INDICATIONS. I WENT UP N AWAY FROM THE FIELD TO BURN UP THE GAS IN THE TANKS CLOSEST TO THE CABIN. I TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD THINK OF, CALLED THE TWR TO GET ADDITIONAL INFO FROM AN FBO, AND HAD A CHASE PLANE LOOK ME OVER. I FINALLY DECLARED MY EMER AND CAME IN AND LANDED ACCORDING TO THE HANDBOOK. I DID TRY TO STOP MY ENGS THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO FEATHER BOTH PROPS AND SPIN THEM HORIZ WITH THE STARTER. I LANDED AND HELD THE NOSE AS LONG AS I DARED THEN SET IT DOWN EASY. THE ACFT WAS NOT BADLY DAMAGED AND MY PAX EVACED AS I HAD BRIEFED THEM. CFR WAS WAITING AND THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR A SHORT TIME. I AM NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY THE DOORS ON THE GEAR WERE NOT SEQUENCED WITH THE GEAR ITSELF. I DID A THOROUGH VISUAL CHK OF THE GEAR, DOORS AND GEAR WELL PRIOR TO FLT.

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.