One gear up landing.

Attributes
ACN	304953
Time
Date	199505
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1nd3
State Reference	ND
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Mustang (P51)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	304953
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After total rebuild of a P-51D mustang, I test flew it in the experimental category to show compliance for certification in the limited category. Upon lowering the gear for landing, I did not get a green light on the l-hand side. After exhausting all emergency procedures, a landing was made with very little damage. After disassembly of l-hand gear actuator, it was found that some chrome had flaked off of the piston and galled the surface of the cylinder wall and pushed up a ridge of steel that the hydraulic pressure could not overcome. The older P-51's had an aluminum piston that seems to work better. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a cropduster by trade and flies the P-51 and a tbm in exhibitions. The aircraft is back in the air after 'very little' damage (left flap, left inboard gear doors, scrapes on the wingtip and scoop, and the tips of the propeller blades). The propeller blades have been trimmed and are still in use. A fargo FSDO representative came to see the aircraft and rated this as an incident. He seemed to be more curious than anything. There was some question about a 'letter of authorization' being required to fly the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONE GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER TOTAL REBUILD OF A P-51D MUSTANG, I TEST FLEW IT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY TO SHOW COMPLIANCE FOR CERTIFICATION IN THE LIMITED CATEGORY. UPON LOWERING THE GEAR FOR LNDG, I DID NOT GET A GREEN LIGHT ON THE L-HAND SIDE. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL EMER PROCS, A LNDG WAS MADE WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE. AFTER DISASSEMBLY OF L-HAND GEAR ACTUATOR, IT WAS FOUND THAT SOME CHROME HAD FLAKED OFF OF THE PISTON AND GALLED THE SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER WALL AND PUSHED UP A RIDGE OF STEEL THAT THE HYD PRESSURE COULD NOT OVERCOME. THE OLDER P-51'S HAD AN ALUMINUM PISTON THAT SEEMS TO WORK BETTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A CROPDUSTER BY TRADE AND FLIES THE P-51 AND A TBM IN EXHIBITIONS. THE ACFT IS BACK IN THE AIR AFTER 'VERY LITTLE' DAMAGE (L FLAP, L INBOARD GEAR DOORS, SCRAPES ON THE WINGTIP AND SCOOP, AND THE TIPS OF THE PROP BLADES). THE PROP BLADES HAVE BEEN TRIMMED AND ARE STILL IN USE. A FARGO FSDO REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO SEE THE ACFT AND RATED THIS AS AN INCIDENT. HE SEEMED TO BE MORE CURIOUS THAN ANYTHING. THERE WAS SOME QUESTION ABOUT A 'LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION' BEING REQUIRED TO FLY THE ACFT.

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.