Narrative:

On the GPS approach to ZZZ I placed the landing gear switch down when I crossed the GS intercept. I heard the gear motor activate; received an in-transit light; but no 3-GREEN. I advised tower; cancelled IFR and asked for a low fly-by so they could visually check my gear position. They said the gear looked down. I asked for a direction to fly to a safe area so that I could troubleshoot the problem. They advised to orbit south of the airport. I did so. During the troubleshooting I noted my garmin 430 GPS had reset; possibly denoting an electrical component to the issue. I cycled the gear electrically and manually per the operator's handbook 4 separate times. All manual attempts to deploy the gear were done with the gear breaker pulled. Each time the manual gear handle reached its down stop the gear breaker was re-engaged. Each time; the gear indicator lights showed an in-transit light upon completion. I declared an emergency to ZZZ tower and they advised it would take 10-15 mins to deploy the equipment. I continued to orbit and troubleshoot. When the equipment was in place; made a VFR approach and landing. Prior to touchdown I announced what I had done to solve the problem; that I had opened my passenger door and that arrival would be made flaps-up. Just prior to touchdown I shut off the electrical system. The landing gear did not collapse and I was able to roll off the runway and off the taxiway. When I exited the aircraft I waved to the fire equipment that I was ok. Visual inspection of the gear did not show a cause for the light failure. I returned to the cockpit and turned on the battery. Now; the gear lights showed 3-GREEN. Given the down and locked indication; I taxied the aircraft to local maintenance and had the mechanic raise the aircraft and conduct gear-swing tests. The tests revealed a squat-switch failure. This failure would not allow the gear to be retracted. However; when the gear was manually retracted; the gear would electrically deploy down properly. The mechanic said the aircraft was safe to fly home with the gear down only and advised I could then have my home airport mechanic repair the problems. I proceeded to return to my home airport. Because of the hot WX and a slow climb condition due to the deployed gear; the engine temperatures raised to an unaccepted level. I elected to cancel my IFR and visually returned home without incident. All repairs will be conducted at home. During the initial emergency I felt a bit of fear and anger. I didn't want rush and screw this up. WX was clear and calm and I had plenty of gas. Though I have a working autoplt and could have used it during the manual gear extensions; I elected to hand-fly due to the possible electrical component to the issue. Tower staff was helpful. The only thing I would have changed in my performance was I should have taken my handheld transceiver out of the aircraft when I rolled to a stop and radioed tower to advise my condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MALFUNCTIONING SQUAT SWITCH ON BE33 DISABLES GEAR SAFE LIGHTS AND RESULTS IN EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR LANDING.

Narrative: ON THE GPS APCH TO ZZZ I PLACED THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH DOWN WHEN I CROSSED THE GS INTERCEPT. I HEARD THE GEAR MOTOR ACTIVATE; RECEIVED AN IN-TRANSIT LIGHT; BUT NO 3-GREEN. I ADVISED TWR; CANCELLED IFR AND ASKED FOR A LOW FLY-BY SO THEY COULD VISUALLY CHK MY GEAR POS. THEY SAID THE GEAR LOOKED DOWN. I ASKED FOR A DIRECTION TO FLY TO A SAFE AREA SO THAT I COULD TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. THEY ADVISED TO ORBIT S OF THE ARPT. I DID SO. DURING THE TROUBLESHOOTING I NOTED MY GARMIN 430 GPS HAD RESET; POSSIBLY DENOTING AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT TO THE ISSUE. I CYCLED THE GEAR ELECTRICALLY AND MANUALLY PER THE OPERATOR'S HANDBOOK 4 SEPARATE TIMES. ALL MANUAL ATTEMPTS TO DEPLOY THE GEAR WERE DONE WITH THE GEAR BREAKER PULLED. EACH TIME THE MANUAL GEAR HANDLE REACHED ITS DOWN STOP THE GEAR BREAKER WAS RE-ENGAGED. EACH TIME; THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS SHOWED AN IN-TRANSIT LIGHT UPON COMPLETION. I DECLARED AN EMER TO ZZZ TWR AND THEY ADVISED IT WOULD TAKE 10-15 MINS TO DEPLOY THE EQUIP. I CONTINUED TO ORBIT AND TROUBLESHOOT. WHEN THE EQUIP WAS IN PLACE; MADE A VFR APCH AND LNDG. PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN I ANNOUNCED WHAT I HAD DONE TO SOLVE THE PROB; THAT I HAD OPENED MY PAX DOOR AND THAT ARR WOULD BE MADE FLAPS-UP. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN I SHUT OFF THE ELECTRICAL SYS. THE LNDG GEAR DID NOT COLLAPSE AND I WAS ABLE TO ROLL OFF THE RWY AND OFF THE TXWY. WHEN I EXITED THE ACFT I WAVED TO THE FIRE EQUIP THAT I WAS OK. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE GEAR DID NOT SHOW A CAUSE FOR THE LIGHT FAILURE. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND TURNED ON THE BATTERY. NOW; THE GEAR LIGHTS SHOWED 3-GREEN. GIVEN THE DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION; I TAXIED THE ACFT TO LCL MAINT AND HAD THE MECH RAISE THE ACFT AND CONDUCT GEAR-SWING TESTS. THE TESTS REVEALED A SQUAT-SWITCH FAILURE. THIS FAILURE WOULD NOT ALLOW THE GEAR TO BE RETRACTED. HOWEVER; WHEN THE GEAR WAS MANUALLY RETRACTED; THE GEAR WOULD ELECTRICALLY DEPLOY DOWN PROPERLY. THE MECH SAID THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO FLY HOME WITH THE GEAR DOWN ONLY AND ADVISED I COULD THEN HAVE MY HOME ARPT MECH REPAIR THE PROBS. I PROCEEDED TO RETURN TO MY HOME ARPT. BECAUSE OF THE HOT WX AND A SLOW CLB CONDITION DUE TO THE DEPLOYED GEAR; THE ENG TEMPS RAISED TO AN UNACCEPTED LEVEL. I ELECTED TO CANCEL MY IFR AND VISUALLY RETURNED HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL REPAIRS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT HOME. DURING THE INITIAL EMER I FELT A BIT OF FEAR AND ANGER. I DIDN'T WANT RUSH AND SCREW THIS UP. WX WAS CLR AND CALM AND I HAD PLENTY OF GAS. THOUGH I HAVE A WORKING AUTOPLT AND COULD HAVE USED IT DURING THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSIONS; I ELECTED TO HAND-FLY DUE TO THE POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT TO THE ISSUE. TWR STAFF WAS HELPFUL. THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE CHANGED IN MY PERFORMANCE WAS I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER OUT OF THE ACFT WHEN I ROLLED TO A STOP AND RADIOED TWR TO ADVISE MY CONDITION.

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.