Narrative:

Trip originated sby. Preflight inspection normal. Landed miv to drop 3 passenger. Preflight inspection again normal. Run-up normal. After liftoff with positive rate of climb established, selected 'gear up.' upon contact with departure, noticed gear unsafe light still illuminated and gear handle not returned to neutral position. Check of cowl mirror showed nose gear retracted. Airspeed and climb rate were low for power setting and pitch attitude. I assumed main gear still down, however, no green lights illuminated. Advised approach of problem and requested return to millville. Still wanted radar advisories so requested IFR flight plan remain open and same squawk code. Instructed by ATC to maintain at or above 2000 ft and 180 approved, report field in sight. Trouble-shooting of problem had already begun. One of remaining passenger (an owner of this aircraft) is a pilot and was sitting in right seat (pilot). I had him fly the airplane while I worked on the problem. I could not manually get the gear handle to neutral or down position. It was stuck in the up or retract position. Referred to emergency checklist, no help. Pilot operating handbook no help. Remembered, vaguely, something from training program (simcom) about a safety switch or latch behind instrument panel. Visual inspection of gear handle behind panel did not present any obvious switch or latch. At this point aircraft was over miv circling. Altitude varied from 1800 ft MSL to 2300 ft MSL. I was talking to acy approach, miv FSS, and the local FBO mechanic on unicom for assistance. Can't say for sure what I did but gear handle released to neutral. I selected gear down and using emergency extension handle tried pumping gear down. By this time (approximately 20 mins had elapsed), apparently all hydraulic fluid had pumped overboard (with select handle being in retract position for so long and banking of aircraft allowing fluid to go down stand pipe in reservoir). Emergency hand pump was cavitating. Further pumping and banking of aircraft enabled all gear to be pumped down and locked by emergency hand pump. Landing made at miv without incident. Repairs made at millville next day. Cause: flexible line at wing root on 'hydraulic gear up' right side, ruptured. No way to inspect this line during preflight, requires removal of aircraft inspection panels. During this roughly 30 min ordeal, all involved -- ATC, FSS, and local FBO personnel, were very cooperative in allowing me the time to sort out all my options and to finally allow for a safe landing. However, after the landing, the FAA makes you suspect your every move, before, during, and after these types of problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR STUCK PARTIALLY RETRACTED AFTER TKOF CAUSING THE PLT TO EXTEND THE GEAR MANUALLY FOR THE RETURN LNDG.

Narrative: TRIP ORIGINATED SBY. PREFLT INSPECTION NORMAL. LANDED MIV TO DROP 3 PAX. PREFLT INSPECTION AGAIN NORMAL. RUN-UP NORMAL. AFTER LIFTOFF WITH POSITIVE RATE OF CLB ESTABLISHED, SELECTED 'GEAR UP.' UPON CONTACT WITH DEP, NOTICED GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT STILL ILLUMINATED AND GEAR HANDLE NOT RETURNED TO NEUTRAL POS. CHK OF COWL MIRROR SHOWED NOSE GEAR RETRACTED. AIRSPD AND CLB RATE WERE LOW FOR PWR SETTING AND PITCH ATTITUDE. I ASSUMED MAIN GEAR STILL DOWN, HOWEVER, NO GREEN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ADVISED APCH OF PROB AND REQUESTED RETURN TO MILLVILLE. STILL WANTED RADAR ADVISORIES SO REQUESTED IFR FLT PLAN REMAIN OPEN AND SAME SQUAWK CODE. INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO MAINTAIN AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT AND 180 APPROVED, RPT FIELD IN SIGHT. TROUBLE-SHOOTING OF PROB HAD ALREADY BEGUN. ONE OF REMAINING PAX (AN OWNER OF THIS ACFT) IS A PLT AND WAS SITTING IN R SEAT (PLT). I HAD HIM FLY THE AIRPLANE WHILE I WORKED ON THE PROB. I COULD NOT MANUALLY GET THE GEAR HANDLE TO NEUTRAL OR DOWN POS. IT WAS STUCK IN THE UP OR RETRACT POS. REFERRED TO EMER CHKLIST, NO HELP. PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK NO HELP. REMEMBERED, VAGUELY, SOMETHING FROM TRAINING PROGRAM (SIMCOM) ABOUT A SAFETY SWITCH OR LATCH BEHIND INST PANEL. VISUAL INSPECTION OF GEAR HANDLE BEHIND PANEL DID NOT PRESENT ANY OBVIOUS SWITCH OR LATCH. AT THIS POINT ACFT WAS OVER MIV CIRCLING. ALT VARIED FROM 1800 FT MSL TO 2300 FT MSL. I WAS TALKING TO ACY APCH, MIV FSS, AND THE LCL FBO MECH ON UNICOM FOR ASSISTANCE. CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WHAT I DID BUT GEAR HANDLE RELEASED TO NEUTRAL. I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND USING EMER EXTENSION HANDLE TRIED PUMPING GEAR DOWN. BY THIS TIME (APPROX 20 MINS HAD ELAPSED), APPARENTLY ALL HYD FLUID HAD PUMPED OVERBOARD (WITH SELECT HANDLE BEING IN RETRACT POS FOR SO LONG AND BANKING OF ACFT ALLOWING FLUID TO GO DOWN STAND PIPE IN RESERVOIR). EMER HAND PUMP WAS CAVITATING. FURTHER PUMPING AND BANKING OF ACFT ENABLED ALL GEAR TO BE PUMPED DOWN AND LOCKED BY EMER HAND PUMP. LNDG MADE AT MIV WITHOUT INCIDENT. REPAIRS MADE AT MILLVILLE NEXT DAY. CAUSE: FLEXIBLE LINE AT WING ROOT ON 'HYD GEAR UP' R SIDE, RUPTURED. NO WAY TO INSPECT THIS LINE DURING PREFLT, REQUIRES REMOVAL OF ACFT INSPECTION PANELS. DURING THIS ROUGHLY 30 MIN ORDEAL, ALL INVOLVED -- ATC, FSS, AND LCL FBO PERSONNEL, WERE VERY COOPERATIVE IN ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SORT OUT ALL MY OPTIONS AND TO FINALLY ALLOW FOR A SAFE LNDG. HOWEVER, AFTER THE LNDG, THE FAA MAKES YOU SUSPECT YOUR EVERY MOVE, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THESE TYPES OF PROBS.

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.