Narrative:

I took off and climbed to 1500-2000 ft and contacted approach for my clearance. The controller cleared me to ZZZ via vectors. Climb maintain 3000 ft; expect 9000 ft in 10 mins. She gave me a heading; I believe it was 030 degrees. I then noticed the gear-up light was not lit. I began checking the hydraulic pressure; it was varying more than normal. I was trying to see the reflection of the nose gear on the spinners; but I could not see very clearly because the spinners were a little dirty. I was trying to determine if I needed to cycle the gear. The controller handed me off and I was given another heading and cleared to ZZZ VOR. I began trying to input ZZZ VOR on the GPS. There was moderate to severe turbulence so I was having difficulty dialing in the intersection and I asked for a vector to the intersection. I was given a heading; 340 degrees I think. I was still watching the hydraulic pressure and trying to troubleshoot why the gear up light was not on. I was given a new altitude; 5000 ft and new heading. I was using the autoplt. We do not have altitude select so I was using attitude up on the autoplt for the climb to 5000 ft and returned my attention to the gear up light; rotating the knob and pressing to test the bulb. It was ok. I was checking the spinners for the reflection of the gear doors to see if I could tell if they were closed. The controller called and said that my altitude was supposed to be 5000 ft and he gave me another heading and handed me off. I checked my climb; I was at 5400 ft. I corrected altitude; turning off autoplt. I changed frequency; controller asked destination; I replied on assigned heading. He cleared me to an intersection; I asked for a vector. He changed my frequency and said I would get a vector from the next controller and changed frequency; got a heading. This whole time I was also concerned about the possibility that the brakes may have been partially contacting the rotors on takeoff and could have overheated; maybe even be on fire inside the wheel compartments; so I had a lot of distrs going on. I never declared an emergency or system malfunction. The gear up light never came on. I eventually got far enough that I was allowed to get on course and climb to 9000 ft. There was moderate turbulence the entire route. When I landed at ZZZ; I discovered that the nosewheel steering linkage bolt had sheared off and the nosewheel was a little off center as it retracted. The gear door did not close all the way; so the gear up light did not come on. If I had to do this over again; I would have advised ATC that I had a system malfunction and that I was working on the problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA60 PILOT WAS DISTRACTED BECAUSE THE GEAR UP LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AFTER TAKEOFF. WHILE TROUBLE SHOOTING THE PROBLEM IN WEATHER AND TURBULENCE AN ALT DEVIATION OCCURRED.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF AND CLBED TO 1500-2000 FT AND CONTACTED APCH FOR MY CLRNC. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO ZZZ VIA VECTORS. CLB MAINTAIN 3000 FT; EXPECT 9000 FT IN 10 MINS. SHE GAVE ME A HDG; I BELIEVE IT WAS 030 DEGS. I THEN NOTICED THE GEAR-UP LIGHT WAS NOT LIT. I BEGAN CHKING THE HYD PRESSURE; IT WAS VARYING MORE THAN NORMAL. I WAS TRYING TO SEE THE REFLECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR ON THE SPINNERS; BUT I COULD NOT SEE VERY CLRLY BECAUSE THE SPINNERS WERE A LITTLE DIRTY. I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE IF I NEEDED TO CYCLE THE GEAR. THE CTLR HANDED ME OFF AND I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER HDG AND CLRED TO ZZZ VOR. I BEGAN TRYING TO INPUT ZZZ VOR ON THE GPS. THERE WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB SO I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY DIALING IN THE INTXN AND I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE INTXN. I WAS GIVEN A HDG; 340 DEGS I THINK. I WAS STILL WATCHING THE HYD PRESSURE AND TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT WHY THE GEAR UP LIGHT WAS NOT ON. I WAS GIVEN A NEW ALT; 5000 FT AND NEW HDG. I WAS USING THE AUTOPLT. WE DO NOT HAVE ALT SELECT SO I WAS USING ATTITUDE UP ON THE AUTOPLT FOR THE CLB TO 5000 FT AND RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE GEAR UP LIGHT; ROTATING THE KNOB AND PRESSING TO TEST THE BULB. IT WAS OK. I WAS CHKING THE SPINNERS FOR THE REFLECTION OF THE GEAR DOORS TO SEE IF I COULD TELL IF THEY WERE CLOSED. THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID THAT MY ALT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 5000 FT AND HE GAVE ME ANOTHER HDG AND HANDED ME OFF. I CHKED MY CLB; I WAS AT 5400 FT. I CORRECTED ALT; TURNING OFF AUTOPLT. I CHANGED FREQ; CTLR ASKED DEST; I REPLIED ON ASSIGNED HDG. HE CLRED ME TO AN INTXN; I ASKED FOR A VECTOR. HE CHANGED MY FREQ AND SAID I WOULD GET A VECTOR FROM THE NEXT CTLR AND CHANGED FREQ; GOT A HDG. THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BRAKES MAY HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY CONTACTING THE ROTORS ON TKOF AND COULD HAVE OVERHEATED; MAYBE EVEN BE ON FIRE INSIDE THE WHEEL COMPARTMENTS; SO I HAD A LOT OF DISTRS GOING ON. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER OR SYS MALFUNCTION. THE GEAR UP LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. I EVENTUALLY GOT FAR ENOUGH THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO GET ON COURSE AND CLB TO 9000 FT. THERE WAS MODERATE TURB THE ENTIRE RTE. WHEN I LANDED AT ZZZ; I DISCOVERED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING LINKAGE BOLT HAD SHEARED OFF AND THE NOSEWHEEL WAS A LITTLE OFF CTR AS IT RETRACTED. THE GEAR DOOR DID NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY; SO THE GEAR UP LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. IF I HAD TO DO THIS OVER AGAIN; I WOULD HAVE ADVISED ATC THAT I HAD A SYS MALFUNCTION AND THAT I WAS WORKING ON THE PROB.

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.