Narrative:

At XA58Z a PA46 called mbs approach and advised he did not have a positive gear indicator light and wanted to fly by the tower for a visual inspection. After a few fly-bys, the local controller still could not see if the gear was up or down due to low lighting. The pilot requested to fly northwest to consult manuals. At 35 DME northwest of mbs, the controller requested the pilot make a 180 degree turn to keep him in our airspace. At 18 DME west of saginaw, the pilot requested maneuvers to try to get the gear down. At XA17Z pilot advised he was inbound. There was a BA46 (jet) on a 5 mi final to runway 32, followed by a B190 on a 10 mi final to runway 32. Both aircraft had plenty of time to complete their approach prior to the PA46 flying the 18 mi. However, the airport official, who later admitted she did not know the location of the PA46, ordered the airport closed to all aircraft except the PA46. When advised of this, the B190 (an air taxi) advised he was low on fuel and would probably divert. This all occurred at XA24Z. Immediately after the rescue vehicle making the airport closure broadcast, the BA46 stated he would forget the fly-by and just try to land assuming the gear would collapse. He landed at XA33Z, 9 mins later. We feel the airport official interfered with the safety of the aircraft by insinuating that he should land rather than complete another fly-by. She also caused 2 air taxi aircraft to hold rather than land, causing a delay for them. Since air traffic knew the position of the aircraft, airport officials should not dictate the landing sequence. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the tower personnel wanted to report their frustration regarding the intervening by the airport official of their handling of the situation by closing the airport to all traffic except for the piper PA46. They believed that they were handling the situation appropriately and giving whatever assistance needed to the PA46 aircraft with the gear problem. Therefore, since the PA46 had fuel and desire to work out the landing gear problem, and was further away than either of the arriving commuters, the airport did not need to be closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA46 MALIBU HAD DIFFICULTY EXTENDING THE LNDG GEAR AND MADE SEVERAL TWR FLY-BY PASSES TO CHK THE GEAR. SINCE THE CTLR COULD NOT MAKE A DETERMINATION AT NIGHT, THE PA46 THEN LEFT THE PATTERN FOR FURTHER GEAR CHK. IT THEN CAME BACK AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL GEAR DOWN LNDG.

Narrative: AT XA58Z A PA46 CALLED MBS APCH AND ADVISED HE DID NOT HAVE A POSITIVE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT AND WANTED TO FLY BY THE TWR FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION. AFTER A FEW FLY-BYS, THE LCL CTLR STILL COULD NOT SEE IF THE GEAR WAS UP OR DOWN DUE TO LOW LIGHTING. THE PLT REQUESTED TO FLY NW TO CONSULT MANUALS. AT 35 DME NW OF MBS, THE CTLR REQUESTED THE PLT MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO KEEP HIM IN OUR AIRSPACE. AT 18 DME W OF SAGINAW, THE PLT REQUESTED MANEUVERS TO TRY TO GET THE GEAR DOWN. AT XA17Z PLT ADVISED HE WAS INBOUND. THERE WAS A BA46 (JET) ON A 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 32, FOLLOWED BY A B190 ON A 10 MI FINAL TO RWY 32. BOTH ACFT HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO COMPLETE THEIR APCH PRIOR TO THE PA46 FLYING THE 18 MI. HOWEVER, THE ARPT OFFICIAL, WHO LATER ADMITTED SHE DID NOT KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE PA46, ORDERED THE ARPT CLOSED TO ALL ACFT EXCEPT THE PA46. WHEN ADVISED OF THIS, THE B190 (AN AIR TAXI) ADVISED HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND WOULD PROBABLY DIVERT. THIS ALL OCCURRED AT XA24Z. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RESCUE VEHICLE MAKING THE ARPT CLOSURE BROADCAST, THE BA46 STATED HE WOULD FORGET THE FLY-BY AND JUST TRY TO LAND ASSUMING THE GEAR WOULD COLLAPSE. HE LANDED AT XA33Z, 9 MINS LATER. WE FEEL THE ARPT OFFICIAL INTERFERED WITH THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT BY INSINUATING THAT HE SHOULD LAND RATHER THAN COMPLETE ANOTHER FLY-BY. SHE ALSO CAUSED 2 AIR TAXI ACFT TO HOLD RATHER THAN LAND, CAUSING A DELAY FOR THEM. SINCE AIR TFC KNEW THE POS OF THE ACFT, ARPT OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT DICTATE THE LNDG SEQUENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TWR PERSONNEL WANTED TO RPT THEIR FRUSTRATION REGARDING THE INTERVENING BY THE ARPT OFFICIAL OF THEIR HANDLING OF THE SIT BY CLOSING THE ARPT TO ALL TFC EXCEPT FOR THE PIPER PA46. THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE HANDLING THE SIT APPROPRIATELY AND GIVING WHATEVER ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO THE PA46 ACFT WITH THE GEAR PROB. THEREFORE, SINCE THE PA46 HAD FUEL AND DESIRE TO WORK OUT THE LNDG GEAR PROB, AND WAS FURTHER AWAY THAN EITHER OF THE ARRIVING COMMUTERS, THE ARPT DID NOT NEED TO BE CLOSED.

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.