Narrative:

On jan/tue/02 at XA00, I departed ZZZ in a PA28R-201 aircraft on an IFR flight plan to maf. Upon climb out, I retracted the landing gear and adjusted the engine/propeller to 25 inches and 2500 RPM, and continued a climb to 8000 ft MSL. Approximately 15 mins after departure while climbing through approximately 5000-6000 ft MSL while in IMC, the instrument panel back lighting began to 'pulsate and flicker.' I ensured that the appropriate lighting and equipment switches were in their appropriate position, and checked the ammeter for any unusual activity. The ammeter was 'jumping' as the panel 'pulsated' in sync with each other. This problem continued throughout the entire flight. Upon reaching nearly 7000 ft MSL, we encountered VFR on top conditions. The 'landing gear unsafe' warning light came on and sounded the warning horn that accompanies it, indicating that the gear is neither full up nor full down but is in a transition phase. The light went off for approximately 45 seconds to 1 min and then came back on along with the warning horn. This cycle continued for approximately 15 mins as I attempted to locate or identify the problem. During each period that the warning light was on, I could feel the drag/yaw induced by the deployment of the landing gear. During each deployment cycle, my indicated airspeed declined approximately 10-12 KTS, requiring significant pitch/attitude adjustment, which led to further reduction in airspeed in order to maintain my assigned altitude of 8000 ft MSL. At approximately XA50 I called ZFW and advised that we were 'having difficulty with our landing gear' and that we were 'unable to maintain 8000 ft, request 7000 ft.' during the time of making the request I had left my assigned altitude of 8000 ft and was descending through 7500 ft with very little or no ability to climb or maintain 8000 ft. Center advised me that '7000 ft was fine and to maintain at least 6000 ft.' after several mins of unsuccessfully identing the landing gear problem, I extended the landing gear by use of the landing gear switch. After deploying the landing gear, I noticed that our airspeed was approximately 15-20 KTS slower than usual and that our ground speed had diminished substantially. I then made a decision that the flight had become unsafe and that landing was our best option at that time. I called center and asked if there was air carrier service out of abiline, and then I made a decision to go back to afw airport for landing, instead of ZZZ due to IFR WX. I was instructed to contact regional approach and they advised that 'visual landing in use runway 16L at alliance, wind ???/??? Sky condition overcast 3000 ft.' I then made a decision to go to ZZZ as the WX had improved since our departure and that a visual landing was possible. I landed at ZZZ without incident in visual conditions, canceled my flight plan, and proceeded to the hangar where the airplane is based. A mechanic put the plane on jack stands and began to cycle the gear up and down. While on the jacks, the aircraft could not fully retract the gear, and the gear 'bounced' as hydraulic pressure was gained/lost. After approximately 2 mins of the aircraft attempting to raise the gear unsuccessfully with the hydraulic pump running continuously, we turned the master switch off and the landing gear fell immediately into the down/locked position. I left the hangar at that time (approximately XB40) to contact the parties at our destination to advise them of our situation. An annual inspection was completed the previous night I was present during the final portion of the inspection and signoff. The mechanic stated that there were no problems found and that the airplane would be ready in time for my flight. A 100 hour inspection was complete on the aircraft approximately 10 hours (engine time) prior to this flight, approximately 4-5 days previously. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the primary electrical power fluctuating is unknown as the flight school never reported the corrective action. The reporter said the maintenance on this airplane is shabby and will result in injury or a fatality at some time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28R-201 IN CLB AT 5000 FT HAD INST PANEL LIGHTS FLICKER AND LNDG GEAR CYCLING. CONFIRMED ON AMMETER VARYING ELECTRICAL PWR.

Narrative: ON JAN/TUE/02 AT XA00, I DEPARTED ZZZ IN A PA28R-201 ACFT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO MAF. UPON CLBOUT, I RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR AND ADJUSTED THE ENG/PROP TO 25 INCHES AND 2500 RPM, AND CONTINUED A CLB TO 8000 FT MSL. APPROX 15 MINS AFTER DEP WHILE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 5000-6000 FT MSL WHILE IN IMC, THE INST PANEL BACK LIGHTING BEGAN TO 'PULSATE AND FLICKER.' I ENSURED THAT THE APPROPRIATE LIGHTING AND EQUIP SWITCHES WERE IN THEIR APPROPRIATE POS, AND CHKED THE AMMETER FOR ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY. THE AMMETER WAS 'JUMPING' AS THE PANEL 'PULSATED' IN SYNC WITH EACH OTHER. THIS PROB CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT. UPON REACHING NEARLY 7000 FT MSL, WE ENCOUNTERED VFR ON TOP CONDITIONS. THE 'LNDG GEAR UNSAFE' WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND SOUNDED THE WARNING HORN THAT ACCOMPANIES IT, INDICATING THAT THE GEAR IS NEITHER FULL UP NOR FULL DOWN BUT IS IN A TRANSITION PHASE. THE LIGHT WENT OFF FOR APPROX 45 SECONDS TO 1 MIN AND THEN CAME BACK ON ALONG WITH THE WARNING HORN. THIS CYCLE CONTINUED FOR APPROX 15 MINS AS I ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE OR IDENT THE PROB. DURING EACH PERIOD THAT THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON, I COULD FEEL THE DRAG/YAW INDUCED BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE LNDG GEAR. DURING EACH DEPLOYMENT CYCLE, MY INDICATED AIRSPD DECLINED APPROX 10-12 KTS, REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT PITCH/ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, WHICH LED TO FURTHER REDUCTION IN AIRSPD IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT MSL. AT APPROX XA50 I CALLED ZFW AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE 'HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH OUR LNDG GEAR' AND THAT WE WERE 'UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT, REQUEST 7000 FT.' DURING THE TIME OF MAKING THE REQUEST I HAD LEFT MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT AND WAS DSNDING THROUGH 7500 FT WITH VERY LITTLE OR NO ABILITY TO CLB OR MAINTAIN 8000 FT. CTR ADVISED ME THAT '7000 FT WAS FINE AND TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 6000 FT.' AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF UNSUCCESSFULLY IDENTING THE LNDG GEAR PROB, I EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR BY USE OF THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH. AFTER DEPLOYING THE LNDG GEAR, I NOTICED THAT OUR AIRSPD WAS APPROX 15-20 KTS SLOWER THAN USUAL AND THAT OUR GND SPD HAD DIMINISHED SUBSTANTIALLY. I THEN MADE A DECISION THAT THE FLT HAD BECOME UNSAFE AND THAT LNDG WAS OUR BEST OPTION AT THAT TIME. I CALLED CTR AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ACR SVC OUT OF ABILINE, AND THEN I MADE A DECISION TO GO BACK TO AFW ARPT FOR LNDG, INSTEAD OF ZZZ DUE TO IFR WX. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT REGIONAL APCH AND THEY ADVISED THAT 'VISUAL LNDG IN USE RWY 16L AT ALLIANCE, WIND ???/??? SKY CONDITION OVCST 3000 FT.' I THEN MADE A DECISION TO GO TO ZZZ AS THE WX HAD IMPROVED SINCE OUR DEP AND THAT A VISUAL LNDG WAS POSSIBLE. I LANDED AT ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT IN VISUAL CONDITIONS, CANCELED MY FLT PLAN, AND PROCEEDED TO THE HANGAR WHERE THE AIRPLANE IS BASED. A MECH PUT THE PLANE ON JACK STANDS AND BEGAN TO CYCLE THE GEAR UP AND DOWN. WHILE ON THE JACKS, THE ACFT COULD NOT FULLY RETRACT THE GEAR, AND THE GEAR 'BOUNCED' AS HYD PRESSURE WAS GAINED/LOST. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS OF THE ACFT ATTEMPTING TO RAISE THE GEAR UNSUCCESSFULLY WITH THE HYD PUMP RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, WE TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF AND THE LNDG GEAR FELL IMMEDIATELY INTO THE DOWN/LOCKED POS. I LEFT THE HANGAR AT THAT TIME (APPROX XB40) TO CONTACT THE PARTIES AT OUR DEST TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR SIT. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED THE PREVIOUS NIGHT I WAS PRESENT DURING THE FINAL PORTION OF THE INSPECTION AND SIGNOFF. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WERE NO PROBS FOUND AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD BE READY IN TIME FOR MY FLT. A 100 HR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE ON THE ACFT APPROX 10 HRS (ENG TIME) PRIOR TO THIS FLT, APPROX 4-5 DAYS PREVIOUSLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE PRIMARY ELECTRICAL PWR FLUCTUATING IS UNKNOWN AS THE FLT SCHOOL NEVER RPTED THE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT ON THIS AIRPLANE IS SHABBY AND WILL RESULT IN INJURY OR A FATALITY AT SOME TIME.

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.