Narrative:

After completing aircraft deicing; we taxied without delay for an immediate takeoff on runway 4 at txk. After a normal takeoff and gear retraction; I noted that the red landing gear 'unlocked' light remained illuminated and the 'hydraulic press-on' annunciator also remained illuminated. We requested to level off at 5000 ft and evaluated the situation. I initially suspected that either the landing gear handle was not in the retracted detent completely; or that residual ice was the cause of the red 'unlocked' light. I believed that the landing gear system itself; was retracting normally; as there was no adverse yaw indicating that the gear was not retracting as it should. As there is no abnormal/emergency procedure for a prolonged red gear 'unlocked' light during gear retraction; I attempted to recycle the landing gear. As the condition remained; we then requested a clearance back to txk (our departure airport) for the full ILS approach and landing to runway 22; which we accomplished uneventfully. I notified the company after parking and shutdown. The fom reads; 'landing gear operation -- non-normal or abnormal indication;' beginning with the policy statement reads: policy: the following is company policy for situations where the flight crew determines that the landing gear retraction or extension is not normal.' this policy is not intended and shall not be construed as limiting the authority/authorized of the designated PIC nor as relieving the flight crew from compliance with the afm abnormal or emergency procedures. Because my initial thoughts were that external factors such as residual ice were probably the cause; and not the landing gear system itself; I recycled the landing gear; as I thought that the gear itself was operating normally. My assessment of the situation appears to have been confirmed by maintenance. Today; after putting the aircraft on jacks and swinging the gear over 20 times; they found the landing gear in working order and could not duplicate the problem. They suspect that residual ice may have been a causal factor in the landing gear red 'unlocked' light remaining with the gear handle in the retracted position. After again reviewing the fom; I noted the bold print which specifies that cycling of the landing gear is prohibited with a non-normal or abnormal indication. The red landing gear 'unlocked' light remaining on for an extended period of time after gear retraction appears to fit this definition and would be considered an abnormal indication. Cessna needs to provide specific checklist guidance for a problem with gear retraction! On the CE560 company guidance is 'stuck' in the vast pages of the company fom; when it should be readily available in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C560 LNDG GEAR UNLOCKED LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER TKOF. THE GEAR WAS RECYCLED WITH NO SUCCESS; SO THE FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING ACFT DEICING; WE TAXIED WITHOUT DELAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF ON RWY 4 AT TXK. AFTER A NORMAL TKOF AND GEAR RETRACTION; I NOTED THAT THE RED LNDG GEAR 'UNLOCKED' LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE 'HYD PRESS-ON' ANNUNCIATOR ALSO REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WE REQUESTED TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT AND EVALUATED THE SITUATION. I INITIALLY SUSPECTED THAT EITHER THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE WAS NOT IN THE RETRACTED DETENT COMPLETELY; OR THAT RESIDUAL ICE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RED 'UNLOCKED' LIGHT. I BELIEVED THAT THE LNDG GEAR SYS ITSELF; WAS RETRACTING NORMALLY; AS THERE WAS NO ADVERSE YAW INDICATING THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT RETRACTING AS IT SHOULD. AS THERE IS NO ABNORMAL/EMER PROC FOR A PROLONGED RED GEAR 'UNLOCKED' LIGHT DURING GEAR RETRACTION; I ATTEMPTED TO RECYCLE THE LNDG GEAR. AS THE CONDITION REMAINED; WE THEN REQUESTED A CLRNC BACK TO TXK (OUR DEP ARPT) FOR THE FULL ILS APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 22; WHICH WE ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. I NOTIFIED THE COMPANY AFTER PARKING AND SHUTDOWN. THE FOM READS; 'LNDG GEAR OP -- NON-NORMAL OR ABNORMAL INDICATION;' BEGINNING WITH THE POLICY STATEMENT READS: POLICY: THE FOLLOWING IS COMPANY POLICY FOR SITUATIONS WHERE THE FLT CREW DETERMINES THAT THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTION OR EXTENSION IS NOT NORMAL.' THIS POLICY IS NOT INTENDED AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LIMITING THE AUTH OF THE DESIGNATED PIC NOR AS RELIEVING THE FLT CREW FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFM ABNORMAL OR EMER PROCS. BECAUSE MY INITIAL THOUGHTS WERE THAT EXTERNAL FACTORS SUCH AS RESIDUAL ICE WERE PROBABLY THE CAUSE; AND NOT THE LNDG GEAR SYS ITSELF; I RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR; AS I THOUGHT THAT THE GEAR ITSELF WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. MY ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY MAINT. TODAY; AFTER PUTTING THE ACFT ON JACKS AND SWINGING THE GEAR OVER 20 TIMES; THEY FOUND THE LNDG GEAR IN WORKING ORDER AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROB. THEY SUSPECT THAT RESIDUAL ICE MAY HAVE BEEN A CAUSAL FACTOR IN THE LNDG GEAR RED 'UNLOCKED' LIGHT REMAINING WITH THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE RETRACTED POS. AFTER AGAIN REVIEWING THE FOM; I NOTED THE BOLD PRINT WHICH SPECIFIES THAT CYCLING OF THE LNDG GEAR IS PROHIBITED WITH A NON-NORMAL OR ABNORMAL INDICATION. THE RED LNDG GEAR 'UNLOCKED' LIGHT REMAINING ON FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER GEAR RETRACTION APPEARS TO FIT THIS DEFINITION AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ABNORMAL INDICATION. CESSNA NEEDS TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC CHKLIST GUIDANCE FOR A PROB WITH GEAR RETRACTION! ON THE CE560 COMPANY GUIDANCE IS 'STUCK' IN THE VAST PAGES OF THE COMPANY FOM; WHEN IT SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE IN THE COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.