Narrative:

This was a photo flight in a rental aircraft departing with fuel to the tabs. There was a loud 'clunk' noise as I was communicating with tower. Instruments indicated everything was normal (this included the gear-up light); and we were unable to visually identify anything wrong externally. Noise came from beneath us; but gear wasn't extended; and we had full fuel; so we proceeded as intended. Upon returning; I extended the gear at 110 KTS approximately 1500 ft over the highway while turning to left downwind for runway. There was no green light; and there was no right main gear in sight. I'm a CFI; so I situation on the right because this is where I'm most comfortable. Also; for photo flts in this aircraft; the left window can be opened fully for a camera. I notified tower; did a low approach for their verification of the situation; and then began circling over the water. Troubleshooting via the poh emergency procedures failed to extend the right main twice. The photographer is a low time pilot; so we arranged the tasks in the cockpit; and alternated attempts to ensure that any attempts were unsuccessful. The club's mechanic was on the radio helping us troubleshoot. The hydraulic pump was confirmed to be functional because we could hear and feel it under the dash. Retracting and extending the gear showed that the right main would extend most of the way; but would be pushed aft in the wind; almost to full retraction (as confirmed in reflection of open window). Pulling G's failed. A pilot on the ground relayed a story to us; told to him that day about a successful extension using the towbar. Over the water; I tried twice to extend the right main by hooking the bar around the leg in slow flight; but only moved it forward approximately 6-8 inches. We had been in the air for hours; so fuel was running very low (plus we had already been circling for nearly an hour). We agreed we'd try once more to extend the gear; and then we had to land. The photographer got on the floor of the back seat; I moved to the left front seat; pushed the right seat full forward; and the photographer wrapped his legs around the bars of the back seat before extending part of his torso out the door to use a combo of the towbar and his hands. The green light suddenly went on; and the gear warning horn stopped. I returned to the right seat; and elected to land at ZZZ for the long and wide runway. The towbar and hands had been able to lock the gear in place. We landed cautiously at ZZZ without any problems. The photographer did this because he's hung out of helicopters for photos many times. All attempts (except G's) were performed at MCA of 40-45 KTS.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 LNDG GEAR FAILED TO INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY MANEUVERING AND CYCLING GEAR; PAX REACHED OUT THE COCKPIT DOOR AND MANUALLY FORCED THE GEAR INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL.

Narrative: THIS WAS A PHOTO FLT IN A RENTAL ACFT DEPARTING WITH FUEL TO THE TABS. THERE WAS A LOUD 'CLUNK' NOISE AS I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH TWR. INSTS INDICATED EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL (THIS INCLUDED THE GEAR-UP LIGHT); AND WE WERE UNABLE TO VISUALLY IDENT ANYTHING WRONG EXTERNALLY. NOISE CAME FROM BENEATH US; BUT GEAR WASN'T EXTENDED; AND WE HAD FULL FUEL; SO WE PROCEEDED AS INTENDED. UPON RETURNING; I EXTENDED THE GEAR AT 110 KTS APPROX 1500 FT OVER THE HWY WHILE TURNING TO L DOWNWIND FOR RWY. THERE WAS NO GREEN LIGHT; AND THERE WAS NO R MAIN GEAR IN SIGHT. I'M A CFI; SO I SIT ON THE R BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I'M MOST COMFORTABLE. ALSO; FOR PHOTO FLTS IN THIS ACFT; THE L WINDOW CAN BE OPENED FULLY FOR A CAMERA. I NOTIFIED TWR; DID A LOW APCH FOR THEIR VERIFICATION OF THE SITUATION; AND THEN BEGAN CIRCLING OVER THE WATER. TROUBLESHOOTING VIA THE POH EMER PROCS FAILED TO EXTEND THE R MAIN TWICE. THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS A LOW TIME PLT; SO WE ARRANGED THE TASKS IN THE COCKPIT; AND ALTERNATED ATTEMPTS TO ENSURE THAT ANY ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CLUB'S MECH WAS ON THE RADIO HELPING US TROUBLESHOOT. THE HYD PUMP WAS CONFIRMED TO BE FUNCTIONAL BECAUSE WE COULD HEAR AND FEEL IT UNDER THE DASH. RETRACTING AND EXTENDING THE GEAR SHOWED THAT THE R MAIN WOULD EXTEND MOST OF THE WAY; BUT WOULD BE PUSHED AFT IN THE WIND; ALMOST TO FULL RETRACTION (AS CONFIRMED IN REFLECTION OF OPEN WINDOW). PULLING G'S FAILED. A PLT ON THE GND RELAYED A STORY TO US; TOLD TO HIM THAT DAY ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL EXTENSION USING THE TOWBAR. OVER THE WATER; I TRIED TWICE TO EXTEND THE R MAIN BY HOOKING THE BAR AROUND THE LEG IN SLOW FLT; BUT ONLY MOVED IT FORWARD APPROX 6-8 INCHES. WE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR HRS; SO FUEL WAS RUNNING VERY LOW (PLUS WE HAD ALREADY BEEN CIRCLING FOR NEARLY AN HR). WE AGREED WE'D TRY ONCE MORE TO EXTEND THE GEAR; AND THEN WE HAD TO LAND. THE PHOTOGRAPHER GOT ON THE FLOOR OF THE BACK SEAT; I MOVED TO THE L FRONT SEAT; PUSHED THE R SEAT FULL FORWARD; AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER WRAPPED HIS LEGS AROUND THE BARS OF THE BACK SEAT BEFORE EXTENDING PART OF HIS TORSO OUT THE DOOR TO USE A COMBO OF THE TOWBAR AND HIS HANDS. THE GREEN LIGHT SUDDENLY WENT ON; AND THE GEAR WARNING HORN STOPPED. I RETURNED TO THE R SEAT; AND ELECTED TO LAND AT ZZZ FOR THE LONG AND WIDE RWY. THE TOWBAR AND HANDS HAD BEEN ABLE TO LOCK THE GEAR IN PLACE. WE LANDED CAUTIOUSLY AT ZZZ WITHOUT ANY PROBS. THE PHOTOGRAPHER DID THIS BECAUSE HE'S HUNG OUT OF HELIS FOR PHOTOS MANY TIMES. ALL ATTEMPTS (EXCEPT G'S) WERE PERFORMED AT MCA OF 40-45 KTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.