Landing gear motor failure.

Attributes
ACN	290786
Time
Date	199412
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bed tower : bed
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8450 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	290786
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	291000
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff from runway 11 and told to turn right heading 230 degrees after departure. After rotation and a position rate of climb was established, the gear was selected up. However, the gear did not retract. We recycled the gear handle 2 more times but the gear still remained down. We were still VMC at this time and we elected not to enter the clouds with a known gear problem. We had good visibility below the clouds and decided to return to the airport for landing. We initiated a turn to the left in the direction of lower terrain and higher bases. The tower advised us that we had been instructed to turn right after departure. We informed the tower that we wanted to circle left and return for landing. The tower told us to contact approach control. We contacted approach control and requested a return to bed for landing via a visual approach. The request for a visual was denied so we asked for a contact approach which was approved. We landed and taxied to maintenance. Maintenance determined that the landing gear motor had failed. After landing we were contacted by the tower chief and quizzed about our actions. The tower chief wanted to know why we had turned left contrary to our clearance. We told him we had experienced a landing gear malfunction and turned left to return to the airport. He stated an official report would be filed. We did not declare an emergency on the radio but we certainly considered it one. In retrospect, I think we should have declared an emergency. Our first concern was to fly the aircraft safely and deal with the in-flight gear problem. Both crew members feel strongly that we made the right decision by returning to the airport under the circumstances.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR MOTOR FAILURE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 11 AND TOLD TO TURN R HDG 230 DEGS AFTER DEP. AFTER ROTATION AND A POS RATE OF CLB WAS ESTABLISHED, THE GEAR WAS SELECTED UP. HOWEVER, THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE 2 MORE TIMES BUT THE GEAR STILL REMAINED DOWN. WE WERE STILL VMC AT THIS TIME AND WE ELECTED NOT TO ENTER THE CLOUDS WITH A KNOWN GEAR PROB. WE HAD GOOD VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. WE INITIATED A TURN TO THE L IN THE DIRECTION OF LOWER TERRAIN AND HIGHER BASES. THE TWR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN R AFTER DEP. WE INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WANTED TO CIRCLE L AND RETURN FOR LNDG. THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH CTL. WE CONTACTED APCH CTL AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO BED FOR LNDG VIA A VISUAL APCH. THE REQUEST FOR A VISUAL WAS DENIED SO WE ASKED FOR A CONTACT APCH WHICH WAS APPROVED. WE LANDED AND TAXIED TO MAINT. MAINT DETERMINED THAT THE LNDG GEAR MOTOR HAD FAILED. AFTER LNDG WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE TWR CHIEF AND QUIZZED ABOUT OUR ACTIONS. THE TWR CHIEF WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HAD TURNED L CONTRARY TO OUR CLRNC. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD EXPERIENCED A LNDG GEAR MALFUNCTION AND TURNED L TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. HE STATED AN OFFICIAL RPT WOULD BE FILED. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER ON THE RADIO BUT WE CERTAINLY CONSIDERED IT ONE. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER. OUR FIRST CONCERN WAS TO FLY THE ACFT SAFELY AND DEAL WITH THE INFLT GEAR PROB. BOTH CREW MEMBERS FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE MADE THE R DECISION BY RETURNING TO THE ARPT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.