Narrative:

Preparation of plane and lowering of gear caused normal noises but resulted in only 2 green lights. Mirror confirmed that nose gear was not down and locked. Suspect light tested ok. CFI took controls. Declaration of condition resulted in tower fly-by for inspection resulting in request by tower for a repeat which resulted in confirmation of gear not down condition. Requested maneuvering space and attempted recycle and re-extension. Fly-by acknowledged all 3 gear halfway down. Attempted manual extension. Seemed normal until final few turns handle stopped 1/2 way around with no lights. Requested thinking time and space. Controller assigned discrete frequency and space north and east of airport. Requested mechanic familiar to assist. Suggested manual extension, no joy. Additional mechanic joined with a handheld and suggested more fly-bys over taxiway while 2 mechanics stood in security's pick-up with binoculars. All agreed 3 gears were 45 degrees extended, in symmetry and suggested trailing link problem. They suggested porpoise maneuvers to provide negative and positive G's to slam gear into stops, CFI requests followed. During porpoise maneuvers, gear appeared to slam into stops and bounce back. I suggested to CFI that all is probably lost with gear, so why not try manual gear retract and extract. Owners manual warns against as opportunity potential to damage gear motor. Request mechanics consult their service manual and they indicated that service manual does not include any information relative to same. CFI decided not to attempt manual retract and extension. I managed to bring gear handle around stow in stop. We continued to burn off 130 gallons of fuel. We agreed CFI would continue to fly and complete the landing. I suggest practice lndgs at altitude. CFI rejects. I request practice of slow flight and minimum ctlable airspeed at this low gross (approximately 4000), stall horn came on at 60 mph while maintaining altitude. CFI outline pattern for and duties of each person. I suggest practice landing pattern over actual runway. Permission granted by tower so CFI accomplishes 3 or 4 patterns. Request water. Request denied. After all equipment confirmed in place (emergency equipment on ground) CFI lands plane. No injuries. No fire. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he still has not heard from the mechanic as to the actual cause of the landing gear extension system problem on the cessna 320 model aircraft which he has owned for many yrs. He stated that he has had many problems with the gear retraction on this aircraft and it was recently completely rebuilt with new parts. He further stated that he had a total of approximately 3700 hours with approximately 45 hours in the last 90 days and approximately 500 hour in that type of aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING TRAINING PROFICIENCY FLYING, THE ACFT LNDG GEAR FAILED TO COMPLETELY EXTEND RESULTING IN THE GEAR COLLAPSING DURING LNDG.

Narrative: PREPARATION OF PLANE AND LOWERING OF GEAR CAUSED NORMAL NOISES BUT RESULTED IN ONLY 2 GREEN LIGHTS. MIRROR CONFIRMED THAT NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. SUSPECT LIGHT TESTED OK. CFI TOOK CTLS. DECLARATION OF CONDITION RESULTED IN TWR FLY-BY FOR INSPECTION RESULTING IN REQUEST BY TWR FOR A REPEAT WHICH RESULTED IN CONFIRMATION OF GEAR NOT DOWN CONDITION. REQUESTED MANEUVERING SPACE AND ATTEMPTED RECYCLE AND RE-EXTENSION. FLY-BY ACKNOWLEDGED ALL 3 GEAR HALFWAY DOWN. ATTEMPTED MANUAL EXTENSION. SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL FINAL FEW TURNS HANDLE STOPPED 1/2 WAY AROUND WITH NO LIGHTS. REQUESTED THINKING TIME AND SPACE. CTLR ASSIGNED DISCRETE FREQ AND SPACE N AND E OF ARPT. REQUESTED MECH FAMILIAR TO ASSIST. SUGGESTED MANUAL EXTENSION, NO JOY. ADDITIONAL MECH JOINED WITH A HANDHELD AND SUGGESTED MORE FLY-BYS OVER TXWY WHILE 2 MECHS STOOD IN SECURITY'S PICK-UP WITH BINOCULARS. ALL AGREED 3 GEARS WERE 45 DEGS EXTENDED, IN SYMMETRY AND SUGGESTED TRAILING LINK PROB. THEY SUGGESTED PORPOISE MANEUVERS TO PROVIDE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE G'S TO SLAM GEAR INTO STOPS, CFI REQUESTS FOLLOWED. DURING PORPOISE MANEUVERS, GEAR APPEARED TO SLAM INTO STOPS AND BOUNCE BACK. I SUGGESTED TO CFI THAT ALL IS PROBABLY LOST WITH GEAR, SO WHY NOT TRY MANUAL GEAR RETRACT AND EXTRACT. OWNERS MANUAL WARNS AGAINST AS OPPORTUNITY POTENTIAL TO DAMAGE GEAR MOTOR. REQUEST MECHS CONSULT THEIR SVC MANUAL AND THEY INDICATED THAT SVC MANUAL DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY INFO RELATIVE TO SAME. CFI DECIDED NOT TO ATTEMPT MANUAL RETRACT AND EXTENSION. I MANAGED TO BRING GEAR HANDLE AROUND STOW IN STOP. WE CONTINUED TO BURN OFF 130 GALLONS OF FUEL. WE AGREED CFI WOULD CONTINUE TO FLY AND COMPLETE THE LNDG. I SUGGEST PRACTICE LNDGS AT ALT. CFI REJECTS. I REQUEST PRACTICE OF SLOW FLT AND MINIMUM CTLABLE AIRSPD AT THIS LOW GROSS (APPROX 4000), STALL HORN CAME ON AT 60 MPH WHILE MAINTAINING ALT. CFI OUTLINE PATTERN FOR AND DUTIES OF EACH PERSON. I SUGGEST PRACTICE LNDG PATTERN OVER ACTUAL RWY. PERMISSION GRANTED BY TWR SO CFI ACCOMPLISHES 3 OR 4 PATTERNS. REQUEST WATER. REQUEST DENIED. AFTER ALL EQUIP CONFIRMED IN PLACE (EMER EQUIP ON GND) CFI LANDS PLANE. NO INJURIES. NO FIRE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE STILL HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE MECH AS TO THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE LNDG GEAR EXTENSION SYS PROB ON THE CESSNA 320 MODEL ACFT WHICH HE HAS OWNED FOR MANY YRS. HE STATED THAT HE HAS HAD MANY PROBS WITH THE GEAR RETRACTION ON THIS ACFT AND IT WAS RECENTLY COMPLETELY REBUILT WITH NEW PARTS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD A TOTAL OF APPROX 3700 HRS WITH APPROX 45 HRS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND APPROX 500 HR IN THAT TYPE OF 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.