Narrative:

The aircraft had been OTS for annual inspection since aug/07. One of the maintenance tasks was the replacement of the main gear suspension pads. During the prolonged downtime; the mechanic had noted the difficulty in completing the landing gear work; including rejecting one set of pads and replacing with a second set from the vendor. After the second set of pads were installed; the mechanic also noted difficulty with the rigging of the gear. This continued through december; when the mechanic stated he had received help from another mechanic with more beech sierra experience; and that the gear issues were now resolved. Additional incidents delayed the return to service of the aircraft; including the puncture of the left wing fuel cell when the aircraft slipped off the jacks while checking the landing gear in january; just prior to a planned delivery date. After repair of the wing; another delivery date was scheduled for january. This time; the mechanic noted poor braking during a ground run test; and proceeded to remove and replace 2 flexible brake lines in the cabin. Another pick-up date was scheduled. On the evening prior; the mechanic called and said that due to family matters he would be unable to meet on this day; but any other day would be fine. I stated that I was already in ZZZ to spend the night prior to picking up the plane the next day; but would stay an extra night to pick up the plane the following day. The mechanic said he would try to reschedule to keep the same delivery. The following morning he called to confirm a pick-up time. I met with the mechanic at his FBO. After a preflight of the aircraft; we both went on an approximately 30 min test flight; with no operational anomalies noted; including 1 landing. I left for a solo flight to my home base. On final approach; I lowered the gear; and noted 2 green indicators; with the left main indicator not illuminated. Raising/lowering the gear did not clear the fault. A fly-by of the tower confirmed that the left main gear was not extended. Several repeated attempts to cycle gear; lower gear with the emergency extend valve; and rocking wings and climb/dive did not lower the left main gear. After several cycles; the landing gear power pack breaker tripped with the nose and right main gear extended. After approximately 2 mins; I reset the breaker; raised the gear; and decided to limit additional gear deployment attempts to reduce the risk of not being able to raise the nose and right main; should a gear-up landing ultimately be necessary. After 2 hours of circling outside of the airport area; I returned to verify by fly-by that the gear would still not extend; then executed a gear-up landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the left main gear tire was found jammed-up inside at the fwd bulkhead of the left main gear wheel well after his gear up landing. This required maintenance to deflate the left main tire in order to drop the gear out of the wheel well. Further inspections of the left main gear; revealed that only seven rubber type suspension pads; shaped like and also known as; doughnuts; had been installed during the previous landing gear rigging procedure -- eight are required. Reporter stated of the seven rubber doughnuts installed; four were new and the remaining three were old. The maintenance manual says do not mix the new and old suspension pads. Both main gear tire/wheel assembly attaching axle nuts did not have the required safety cotter pin installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH SIERRA C24R PILOT DESCRIBES THE EVENTS AND SUBSEQUENT FINDINGS THAT LED TO HIS GEAR-UP LANDING.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD BEEN OTS FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION SINCE AUG/07. ONE OF THE MAINT TASKS WAS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN GEAR SUSPENSION PADS. DURING THE PROLONGED DOWNTIME; THE MECH HAD NOTED THE DIFFICULTY IN COMPLETING THE LNDG GEAR WORK; INCLUDING REJECTING ONE SET OF PADS AND REPLACING WITH A SECOND SET FROM THE VENDOR. AFTER THE SECOND SET OF PADS WERE INSTALLED; THE MECH ALSO NOTED DIFFICULTY WITH THE RIGGING OF THE GEAR. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH DECEMBER; WHEN THE MECH STATED HE HAD RECEIVED HELP FROM ANOTHER MECH WITH MORE BEECH SIERRA EXPERIENCE; AND THAT THE GEAR ISSUES WERE NOW RESOLVED. ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS DELAYED THE RETURN TO SVC OF THE ACFT; INCLUDING THE PUNCTURE OF THE L WING FUEL CELL WHEN THE ACFT SLIPPED OFF THE JACKS WHILE CHKING THE LNDG GEAR IN JANUARY; JUST PRIOR TO A PLANNED DELIVERY DATE. AFTER REPAIR OF THE WING; ANOTHER DELIVERY DATE WAS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY. THIS TIME; THE MECH NOTED POOR BRAKING DURING A GND RUN TEST; AND PROCEEDED TO REMOVE AND REPLACE 2 FLEXIBLE BRAKE LINES IN THE CABIN. ANOTHER PICK-UP DATE WAS SCHEDULED. ON THE EVENING PRIOR; THE MECH CALLED AND SAID THAT DUE TO FAMILY MATTERS HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MEET ON THIS DAY; BUT ANY OTHER DAY WOULD BE FINE. I STATED THAT I WAS ALREADY IN ZZZ TO SPEND THE NIGHT PRIOR TO PICKING UP THE PLANE THE NEXT DAY; BUT WOULD STAY AN EXTRA NIGHT TO PICK UP THE PLANE THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE MECH SAID HE WOULD TRY TO RESCHEDULE TO KEEP THE SAME DELIVERY. THE FOLLOWING MORNING HE CALLED TO CONFIRM A PICK-UP TIME. I MET WITH THE MECH AT HIS FBO. AFTER A PREFLT OF THE ACFT; WE BOTH WENT ON AN APPROX 30 MIN TEST FLT; WITH NO OPERATIONAL ANOMALIES NOTED; INCLUDING 1 LNDG. I LEFT FOR A SOLO FLT TO MY HOME BASE. ON FINAL APCH; I LOWERED THE GEAR; AND NOTED 2 GREEN INDICATORS; WITH THE L MAIN INDICATOR NOT ILLUMINATED. RAISING/LOWERING THE GEAR DID NOT CLR THE FAULT. A FLY-BY OF THE TWR CONFIRMED THAT THE L MAIN GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. SEVERAL REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CYCLE GEAR; LOWER GEAR WITH THE EMER EXTEND VALVE; AND ROCKING WINGS AND CLB/DIVE DID NOT LOWER THE L MAIN GEAR. AFTER SEVERAL CYCLES; THE LNDG GEAR PWR PACK BREAKER TRIPPED WITH THE NOSE AND R MAIN GEAR EXTENDED. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS; I RESET THE BREAKER; RAISED THE GEAR; AND DECIDED TO LIMIT ADDITIONAL GEAR DEPLOYMENT ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE AND R MAIN; SHOULD A GEAR-UP LNDG ULTIMATELY BE NECESSARY. AFTER 2 HRS OF CIRCLING OUTSIDE OF THE ARPT AREA; I RETURNED TO VERIFY BY FLY-BY THAT THE GEAR WOULD STILL NOT EXTEND; THEN EXECUTED A GEAR-UP LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TIRE WAS FOUND JAMMED-UP INSIDE AT THE FWD BULKHEAD OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WHEEL WELL AFTER HIS GEAR UP LANDING. THIS REQUIRED MAINT TO DEFLATE THE LEFT MAIN TIRE IN ORDER TO DROP THE GEAR OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL. FURTHER INSPECTIONS OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR; REVEALED THAT ONLY SEVEN RUBBER TYPE SUSPENSION PADS; SHAPED LIKE AND ALSO KNOWN AS; DOUGHNUTS; HAD BEEN INSTALLED DURING THE PREVIOUS LANDING GEAR RIGGING PROCEDURE -- EIGHT ARE REQUIRED. REPORTER STATED OF THE SEVEN RUBBER DOUGHNUTS INSTALLED; FOUR WERE NEW AND THE REMAINING THREE WERE OLD. THE MAINT MANUAL SAYS DO NOT MIX THE NEW AND OLD SUSPENSION PADS. BOTH MAIN GEAR TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY ATTACHING AXLE NUTS DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED SAFETY COTTER PIN INSTALLED.

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.