Narrative:

During stall practice in preparation for my ATP, we extended the gear and only got 2 green indications (right main gear was the one not locked). We discontinued the stall and troubleshot, including cycling the gear several times and used the poh procedures (standard navigation light, circuit breakers, etc). After contacting maintenance, we pulled the circuit breaker for the gear pump and tried a freefall emergency extension. Still only 2 green. We left the handle out and called vero beach tower to ask for a low fly-by so maintenance could look at the gear. Both tower and maintenance reported that the gear appeared to be fully extended. We declared an emergency and attempted a landing. My safety pilot/CFI (for ATP work) was handling the radios and I was flying. He said he would not touch anything, only call the go around if he saw any reason to do so. We touched down on the left, then the right and it started collapsing. He called go around and I initiated it. We came off the ground well below 79 KIAS, our vr. When I saw the airspeed indicator, I think it was 65 KIAS (VMC is 66, vso is 64 and vs is 67). We accelerated in ground effect and successfully climbed out. Maintenance (we departed the class D for a short time to troubleshoot) asked us to try it with the pump breaker in, hoping the gear would be pushed in on landing. On the second attempt, the gear started collapsing and we did another go around. After another conference with maintenance, we tried everything again (probably cycled the gear 25-35 times altogether, including several free falls), and fishtailed it for at least the third time and it locked into place. We made an uneventful landing, although we did declare a third emergency. Maintenance told us later that the j-hook wasn't able to extend far enough to lock it into place as the trunion froze. When they free fell it on jacks, they were unable to get it to lock, even using wrenches and all the force possible. In retrospect, I'm not sure if going around was the best option. I have almost 350 hours in the seneca and my copilot has 250 hours. We were right at both stall and VMC (although the stall horn never sounded). I don't know what the best decision would have been. The propellers are 8-12 inches off the ground (3-BLADED) and could've broken off and sliced open the fuel tanks. But I also could've had a propeller strike in the go around and who knows what would've happened then.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34 FLC MAKES EMER LNDG AFTER UNSAFE GEAR DOWN INDICATION IS RESOLVED.

Narrative: DURING STALL PRACTICE IN PREPARATION FOR MY ATP, WE EXTENDED THE GEAR AND ONLY GOT 2 GREEN INDICATIONS (R MAIN GEAR WAS THE ONE NOT LOCKED). WE DISCONTINUED THE STALL AND TROUBLESHOT, INCLUDING CYCLING THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES AND USED THE POH PROCS (STANDARD NAV LIGHT, CIRCUIT BREAKERS, ETC). AFTER CONTACTING MAINT, WE PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE GEAR PUMP AND TRIED A FREEFALL EMER EXTENSION. STILL ONLY 2 GREEN. WE LEFT THE HANDLE OUT AND CALLED VERO BEACH TWR TO ASK FOR A LOW FLY-BY SO MAINT COULD LOOK AT THE GEAR. BOTH TWR AND MAINT RPTED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY EXTENDED. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND ATTEMPTED A LNDG. MY SAFETY PLT/CFI (FOR ATP WORK) WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS AND I WAS FLYING. HE SAID HE WOULD NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, ONLY CALL THE GAR IF HE SAW ANY REASON TO DO SO. WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE L, THEN THE R AND IT STARTED COLLAPSING. HE CALLED GAR AND I INITIATED IT. WE CAME OFF THE GND WELL BELOW 79 KIAS, OUR VR. WHEN I SAW THE AIRSPD INDICATOR, I THINK IT WAS 65 KIAS (VMC IS 66, VSO IS 64 AND VS IS 67). WE ACCELERATED IN GND EFFECT AND SUCCESSFULLY CLBED OUT. MAINT (WE DEPARTED THE CLASS D FOR A SHORT TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT) ASKED US TO TRY IT WITH THE PUMP BREAKER IN, HOPING THE GEAR WOULD BE PUSHED IN ON LNDG. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT, THE GEAR STARTED COLLAPSING AND WE DID ANOTHER GAR. AFTER ANOTHER CONFERENCE WITH MAINT, WE TRIED EVERYTHING AGAIN (PROBABLY CYCLED THE GEAR 25-35 TIMES ALTOGETHER, INCLUDING SEVERAL FREE FALLS), AND FISHTAILED IT FOR AT LEAST THE THIRD TIME AND IT LOCKED INTO PLACE. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG, ALTHOUGH WE DID DECLARE A THIRD EMER. MAINT TOLD US LATER THAT THE J-HOOK WASN'T ABLE TO EXTEND FAR ENOUGH TO LOCK IT INTO PLACE AS THE TRUNION FROZE. WHEN THEY FREE FELL IT ON JACKS, THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET IT TO LOCK, EVEN USING WRENCHES AND ALL THE FORCE POSSIBLE. IN RETROSPECT, I'M NOT SURE IF GOING AROUND WAS THE BEST OPTION. I HAVE ALMOST 350 HRS IN THE SENECA AND MY COPLT HAS 250 HRS. WE WERE RIGHT AT BOTH STALL AND VMC (ALTHOUGH THE STALL HORN NEVER SOUNDED). I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST DECISION WOULD HAVE BEEN. THE PROPS ARE 8-12 INCHES OFF THE GND (3-BLADED) AND COULD'VE BROKEN OFF AND SLICED OPEN THE FUEL TANKS. BUT I ALSO COULD'VE HAD A PROP STRIKE IN THE GAR AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED THEN.

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.