Narrative:

I was the PNF and had designated my first officer to be the PF. During the approach to landing phase we found the right main landing gear did not reach the fully extended; down and locked position. We requested a holding pattern to facilitate better attention to our problem. We investigated the problem; completed all applicable emergency checklists and attempted an emergency gear extension procedure. During this process we were in communication with company maintenance control. The gear position did not change after our efforts. Upon completion of a control tower fly-by; I consulted the emergency checklist and discussed our options with my first officer. We decided our safest option was to conduct an intentional gear up landing. The landing was uneventful; the aircraft sustained minor damage; and nobody was injured. After investigations; the company has confirmed that a mechanical fault in the landing gear system caused the landing gear anomaly experienced during our flight. Positive actions of captain: did not get distraction and fully absorbed with landing gear light when first noticed. Ensured first officer kept flying the airplane. Recycled gear to see if condition would change. Checked for burned out light using test system in cockpit (rotary test switch). Checked for gear warning horn with the flaps at mid position; gear warning did sound and could not be silenced. Terminated visual approach to landing; requested go around. Requested holding pattern to attend to landing gear anomaly. Initiated emergency checklist procedures once established in holding pattern. Encouraged feedback and communication from first officer while utilizing checklist. Contacted company maintenance control and discussed our anomaly. Checked fuel load. Started cockpit timer to monitor fuel burn and fuel remaining. Requested tower fly-by. Notified ATC of low fuel condition. Reviewed gear up landing procedure verbally with first officer to ensure he was fully briefed and ready for the upcoming event. Let first officer continue to fly while I set up a plan; solicited first officer feedback; used the emergency checklist; communicated with company maintenance control and talked to ATC. Positive actions of first officer. Remained calm and alert while continuing to fly the aircraft. Initiated and set up a wing fuel balancing procedure in the holding pattern. Talked to ATC when I was talking to company maintenance control. Reminded me to 'declare an emergency (for good measure). Conducted an excellent gear up landing; touching down in a flat attitude. Factors affecting the quality of human performance. First flight of the day; crew was well rested and fresh. VFR WX; with clear skies and calm winds. Good crew member rapport and open communication. What have I learned from this experience? Excellent knowledge of aircraft specific emergency procedures and system allows for methodical and accurate troubleshooting of system anomalies. Understanding crew member duties and responsibilities with regards to captain and first officer; PF versus PNF and abiding by SOP's allows for an efficient and confusion free flight. Letting go of the need to control; and instead learning to trust first officer's in managing their duties can help build rapport; confidence and open communication. Not rushing; staying calm and taking your time when faced with an emergency scenario increases situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P180 CAPT REPORTS LANDING GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND PROPERLY AND AFTER ALL ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS HAVE FAILED; AN INTENTIONAL GEAR UP LANDING ENSUES WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF AND HAD DESIGNATED MY FO TO BE THE PF. DURING THE APCH TO LNDG PHASE WE FOUND THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR DID NOT REACH THE FULLY EXTENDED; DOWN AND LOCKED POS. WE REQUESTED A HOLDING PATTERN TO FACILITATE BETTER ATTN TO OUR PROB. WE INVESTIGATED THE PROB; COMPLETED ALL APPLICABLE EMER CHKLISTS AND ATTEMPTED AN EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC. DURING THIS PROCESS WE WERE IN COM WITH COMPANY MAINT CTL. THE GEAR POS DID NOT CHANGE AFTER OUR EFFORTS. UPON COMPLETION OF A CTL TWR FLY-BY; I CONSULTED THE EMER CHKLIST AND DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS WITH MY FO. WE DECIDED OUR SAFEST OPTION WAS TO CONDUCT AN INTENTIONAL GEAR UP LNDG. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; THE ACFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE; AND NOBODY WAS INJURED. AFTER INVESTIGATIONS; THE COMPANY HAS CONFIRMED THAT A MECHANICAL FAULT IN THE LNDG GEAR SYS CAUSED THE LNDG GEAR ANOMALY EXPERIENCED DURING OUR FLT. POSITIVE ACTIONS OF CAPT: DID NOT GET DISTR AND FULLY ABSORBED WITH LNDG GEAR LIGHT WHEN FIRST NOTICED. ENSURED FO KEPT FLYING THE AIRPLANE. RECYCLED GEAR TO SEE IF CONDITION WOULD CHANGE. CHKED FOR BURNED OUT LIGHT USING TEST SYS IN COCKPIT (ROTARY TEST SWITCH). CHKED FOR GEAR WARNING HORN WITH THE FLAPS AT MID POS; GEAR WARNING DID SOUND AND COULD NOT BE SILENCED. TERMINATED VISUAL APCH TO LNDG; REQUESTED GAR. REQUESTED HOLDING PATTERN TO ATTEND TO LNDG GEAR ANOMALY. INITIATED EMER CHKLIST PROCS ONCE ESTABLISHED IN HOLDING PATTERN. ENCOURAGED FEEDBACK AND COM FROM FO WHILE UTILIZING CHKLIST. CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT CTL AND DISCUSSED OUR ANOMALY. CHKED FUEL LOAD. STARTED COCKPIT TIMER TO MONITOR FUEL BURN AND FUEL REMAINING. REQUESTED TWR FLY-BY. NOTIFIED ATC OF LOW FUEL CONDITION. REVIEWED GEAR UP LNDG PROC VERBALLY WITH FO TO ENSURE HE WAS FULLY BRIEFED AND READY FOR THE UPCOMING EVENT. LET FO CONTINUE TO FLY WHILE I SET UP A PLAN; SOLICITED FO FEEDBACK; USED THE EMER CHKLIST; COMMUNICATED WITH COMPANY MAINT CTL AND TALKED TO ATC. POSITIVE ACTIONS OF FO. REMAINED CALM AND ALERT WHILE CONTINUING TO FLY THE ACFT. INITIATED AND SET UP A WING FUEL BALANCING PROC IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. TALKED TO ATC WHEN I WAS TALKING TO COMPANY MAINT CTL. REMINDED ME TO 'DECLARE AN EMER (FOR GOOD MEASURE). CONDUCTED AN EXCELLENT GEAR UP LNDG; TOUCHING DOWN IN A FLAT ATTITUDE. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE. FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; CREW WAS WELL RESTED AND FRESH. VFR WX; WITH CLR SKIES AND CALM WINDS. GOOD CREW MEMBER RAPPORT AND OPEN COM. WHAT HAVE I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE? EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF ACFT SPECIFIC EMER PROCS AND SYS ALLOWS FOR METHODICAL AND ACCURATE TROUBLESHOOTING OF SYS ANOMALIES. UNDERSTANDING CREW MEMBER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITH REGARDS TO CAPT AND FO; PF VERSUS PNF AND ABIDING BY SOP'S ALLOWS FOR AN EFFICIENT AND CONFUSION FREE FLT. LETTING GO OF THE NEED TO CTL; AND INSTEAD LEARNING TO TRUST FO'S IN MANAGING THEIR DUTIES CAN HELP BUILD RAPPORT; CONFIDENCE AND OPEN COM. NOT RUSHING; STAYING CALM AND TAKING YOUR TIME WHEN FACED WITH AN EMER SCENARIO INCREASES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.