Narrative:

At about X10 pm I took off from lrd in an small transport aircraft for a trip to mfe. There were 3 other adult passengers with me. After cleared for takeoff I started the roll without a problem on engines or landing gear, after rotation and positive rate of climb I retracted the gear to find out (15 seconds later) that I had no gear up or down light position indication. I glanced out through the window only to see the nose gear on the mirror of the left engine cowling. The nose gear was hanging loose at the mid point position. The tower let me know also of the situation. I cancelled my IFR flight and proceeded immediately east and away from the air traffic area. I cycled the gear down to no avail. The nose gear stood in the same middle position as before. I started with the emergency procedure for lowering the gear. After reducing airspeed to 85 KIAS (left gear fuse out, gear switch down, clutch mechanism to the right, pull/extend handle and moving it fore and aft) the mechanical handle got stuck for some reason and I could not move it at all. After pulling some stalls and turns at 45 degrees to try to put some g-forces on the gear to try to unjam it, I came back to the airport and made 2 low passes for people below to see the position of the landing gear. People saw the main tires out only about 6-8 inches and the nose hanging out halfway only. I decided to land and did it safely on runway 17L at lrd without injuries to passengers or aircraft damage (only propellers). Probable cause: chain broke off and jammed left gear mechanism.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT LNDG GEAR RETRACTION MALFUNCTION AFTER TKOF CAUSING ACFT TO MAKE AN EMER GEAR-UP LNDG.

Narrative: AT ABOUT X10 PM I TOOK OFF FROM LRD IN AN SMT ACFT FOR A TRIP TO MFE. THERE WERE 3 OTHER ADULT PAXS WITH ME. AFTER CLRED FOR TKOF I STARTED THE ROLL WITHOUT A PROBLEM ON ENGS OR LNDG GEAR, AFTER ROTATION AND POSITIVE RATE OF CLB I RETRACTED THE GEAR TO FIND OUT (15 SECONDS LATER) THAT I HAD NO GEAR UP OR DOWN LIGHT POS INDICATION. I GLANCED OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW ONLY TO SEE THE NOSE GEAR ON THE MIRROR OF THE L ENG COWLING. THE NOSE GEAR WAS HANGING LOOSE AT THE MID POINT POS. THE TWR LET ME KNOW ALSO OF THE SITUATION. I CANCELLED MY IFR FLT AND PROCEEDED IMMEDIATELY E AND AWAY FROM THE ATA. I CYCLED THE GEAR DOWN TO NO AVAIL. THE NOSE GEAR STOOD IN THE SAME MIDDLE POS AS BEFORE. I STARTED WITH THE EMER PROC FOR LOWERING THE GEAR. AFTER REDUCING AIRSPD TO 85 KIAS (L GEAR FUSE OUT, GEAR SWITCH DOWN, CLUTCH MECHANISM TO THE R, PULL/EXTEND HANDLE AND MOVING IT FORE AND AFT) THE MECHANICAL HANDLE GOT STUCK FOR SOME REASON AND I COULD NOT MOVE IT AT ALL. AFTER PULLING SOME STALLS AND TURNS AT 45 DEGS TO TRY TO PUT SOME G-FORCES ON THE GEAR TO TRY TO UNJAM IT, I CAME BACK TO THE ARPT AND MADE 2 LOW PASSES FOR PEOPLE BELOW TO SEE THE POS OF THE LNDG GEAR. PEOPLE SAW THE MAIN TIRES OUT ONLY ABOUT 6-8 INCHES AND THE NOSE HANGING OUT HALFWAY ONLY. I DECIDED TO LAND AND DID IT SAFELY ON RWY 17L AT LRD WITHOUT INJURIES TO PAXS OR ACFT DAMAGE (ONLY PROPS). PROBABLE CAUSE: CHAIN BROKE OFF AND JAMMED L GEAR MECHANISM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.