Narrative:

I was the flying pilot (leg 2) with the owner (commercial pilot) flying as co-pilot on a pleasure flight of 3 legs phx to yum to ZZZ to phx. This was the second leg and departure from yum and enroute were uneventful. Upon arriving at ZZZ, slowed my airspeed to below 110 mph and put the gear handle down. (Both pilots thought they had seen green down lights when later recalling their actions, but were not absolutely sure they did). During the turn to a right base, they flaps lowered to 0.5 with a confirming amber light and speed was further slowed to 90 mph. The turn to final was made, aircraft slowed, throttle was full back at idle. As the aircraft slowed with a gentle flare in ground effect, the right wind momentarily dropped touching the bottom of the right wind tip. (Later found about a 2 X 1 inch scrape road rash at that location). The wings were immediately leveled pilots were surprised as bank was very minor and right gear should not have allowed the tip to touch. The co-pilot felt that we did touch down on the gear and it must have collapsed at that time. I held the winds level and next saw the tips of the 3 bladed propeller bending back with some debris being kicked up. I realized the gear was not fully down and held the aircraft off the runway until it gently settled and came to a stop. After turning off the master switch, we immediately exited the aircraft. I did notice the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. Neither the gear warning horn sounded, nor did the bellanca 'automatic action' system operate the latter automatically extends the gear below 110 mph if handle is not put down. There was no structure damage. The nose gear seemed to be partially extended even after coming to a complete stop. When the aircraft was lifted (via the engine mount) the nose wheel and main gear were pulled down by hand. Power was put on the aircraft (master switch on) and the landing gear circuit breaker put in the three green gear lights came on indicating down and locked. After the gear was fully extended, and locked down, it was towed on its own gear off the runway. At some point during the gear extension, the landing gear circuit breaker apparently popped preventing full extension in the down and locked position. Back up system were also inactivated or did not operate. It is very difficult to see a popped circuit breaker -- like color with the panel. A popped circuit breaker could only be readily identified by feel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane has not been jacked and the landing gear operated to identify the exact component failure. The reporter said some confusion exists on the green position indicating lights being illuminated, but the landing gear backup system also failed. The reporter stated the initial findings of possible cause was a 'weak' landing gear circuit breaker which was found popped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELLANCA BL17 ON LNDG TOUCHDOWN HAD THE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE. SUSPECT LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILURE.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLYING PLT (LEG 2) WITH THE OWNER (COMMERCIAL PLT) FLYING AS CO-PLT ON A PLEASURE FLT OF 3 LEGS PHX TO YUM TO ZZZ TO PHX. THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG AND DEP FROM YUM AND ENROUTE WERE UNEVENTFUL. UPON ARRIVING AT ZZZ, SLOWED MY AIRSPEED TO BELOW 110 MPH AND PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN. (BOTH PLTS THOUGHT THEY HAD SEEN GREEN DOWN LIGHTS WHEN LATER RECALLING THEIR ACTIONS, BUT WERE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE THEY DID). DURING THE TURN TO A RIGHT BASE, THEY FLAPS LOWERED TO 0.5 WITH A CONFIRMING AMBER LIGHT AND SPEED WAS FURTHER SLOWED TO 90 MPH. THE TURN TO FINAL WAS MADE, ACFT SLOWED, THROTTLE WAS FULL BACK AT IDLE. AS THE ACFT SLOWED WITH A GENTLE FLARE IN GND EFFECT, THE R WIND MOMENTARILY DROPPED TOUCHING THE BOTTOM OF THE R WIND TIP. (LATER FOUND ABOUT A 2 X 1 INCH SCRAPE ROAD RASH AT THAT LOCATION). THE WINGS WERE IMMEDIATELY LEVELED PLTS WERE SURPRISED AS BANK WAS VERY MINOR AND R GEAR SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE TIP TO TOUCH. THE CO-PLT FELT THAT WE DID TOUCH DOWN ON THE GEAR AND IT MUST HAVE COLLAPSED AT THAT TIME. I HELD THE WINDS LEVEL AND NEXT SAW THE TIPS OF THE 3 BLADED PROP BENDING BACK WITH SOME DEBRIS BEING KICKED UP. I REALIZED THE GEAR WAS NOT FULLY DOWN AND HELD THE ACFT OFF THE RWY UNTIL IT GENTLY SETTLED AND CAME TO A STOP. AFTER TURNING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, WE IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE ACFT. I DID NOTICE THE LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. NEITHER THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED, NOR DID THE BELLANCA 'AUTO ACTION' SYSTEM OPERATE THE LATTER AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDS THE GEAR BELOW 110 MPH IF HANDLE IS NOT PUT DOWN. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURE DAMAGE. THE NOSE GEAR SEEMED TO BE PARTIALLY EXTENDED EVEN AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN THE ACFT WAS LIFTED (VIA THE ENGINE MOUNT) THE NOSE WHEEL AND MAIN GEAR WERE PULLED DOWN BY HAND. PWR WAS PUT ON THE ACFT (MASTER SWITCH ON) AND THE LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER PUT IN THE THREE GREEN GEAR LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER THE GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED, AND LOCKED DOWN, IT WAS TOWED ON ITS OWN GEAR OFF THE RWY. AT SOME POINT DURING THE GEAR EXTENSION, THE LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER APPARENTLY POPPED PREVENTING FULL EXTENSION IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. BACK UP SYSTEM WERE ALSO INACTIVATED OR DID NOT OPERATE. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER -- LIKE COLOR WITH THE PANEL. A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER COULD ONLY BE READILY IDENTIFIED BY FEEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE HAS NOT BEEN JACKED AND THE LANDING GEAR OPERATED TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT COMPONENT FAILURE. THE RPTR SAID SOME CONFUSION EXISTS ON THE GREEN POSITION INDICATING LIGHTS BEING ILLUMINATED, BUT THE LNDG GEAR BACKUP SYSTEM ALSO FAILED. THE RPTR STATED THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS A 'WEAK' LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WHICH WAS FOUND POPPED.

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.