Narrative:

We departed rpd at approximately XA00Z. Positive rate, gear lever up. Shortly thereafter we noted an amber 'door ajar' that did not extinguish during climb out. We stayed below gear retraction speed and executed multiple standard and manual gear extension and retraction attempts. Indications pointed to the right main landing gear not extending nor retracting. We returned to rpd and received ground confirmation that the right main inner door was partially open and that it appeared to be 'broken.' with the aide of rpd unicom, we established a conference call with tbm in dallas, tx, and an advisory service in san angelo, tx. Both positive and negative g-maneuvers failed to dislodge the inner door. We attempted several additional standard and manual gear extensions and retractions. At this point we contacted eau airport and informed them of our situation. We contacted ZMP, declared an emergency and declared our intent to land at eau. As we burned off fuel, we attempted further gear extensions and retractions. These also proved unsuccessful. We executed a gear up forced landing at eau. Inspection on the ground revealed a front broken hinge on the right inner gear door. The hinge had split completely in a vertical plane causing the door to jam into the wheel well. We feel this area of tbm inner gear doors needs immediate attention. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the NTSB is in the process of testing the gear door for fatigue or distress failure. It is the opinion of reporter that the design is faulty since manufacturer has removed the inner door and replaced it with a fairing. That is what reporter's company is going to do also. There are inner and outer doors on this system. When the actuator is activated the outer door closes with the gear, then the inner doors close. In this case when the front hinge broke, the gear could not move. The part was jammed into the wheel area. Reporter's company bought the aircraft with 500 hours on it and does not know how it was treated during those hours. His company, however, is conservative in its use. They believe it was a part failure because the break was so clean. The gear speeds are very high on this aircraft, 178 KTS on extension. The gear is used to assist in emergency descent. Reporter feels this could be a contributing factor. The FAA is apparently waiting for the NTSB findings before any action. They classified this as an incident, not an accident. ATC was very cooperative with flight crew and vectored an air carrier beneath them to confirm the gear problem was the right main. On the gear up landing, flight crew chose to dead stick in and 2 of the 4 bladed propellers were damaged as well as some belly skin. Reporter states that in his preflight check he does a 'jiggle test' of the gear door and there was nothing loose at that time. The tbm is a single engine turbo aircraft, 'a malibu with an attitude!'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TBM-700 HAS R MAIN GEAR DOOR HINGE BREAK AWAY AND IMPACT GEAR RETRACT EXTEND CAPABILITY.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RPD AT APPROX XA00Z. POSITIVE RATE, GEAR LEVER UP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE NOTED AN AMBER 'DOOR AJAR' THAT DID NOT EXTINGUISH DURING CLBOUT. WE STAYED BELOW GEAR RETRACTION SPD AND EXECUTED MULTIPLE STANDARD AND MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION AND RETRACTION ATTEMPTS. INDICATIONS POINTED TO THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR NOT EXTENDING NOR RETRACTING. WE RETURNED TO RPD AND RECEIVED GND CONFIRMATION THAT THE R MAIN INNER DOOR WAS PARTIALLY OPEN AND THAT IT APPEARED TO BE 'BROKEN.' WITH THE AIDE OF RPD UNICOM, WE ESTABLISHED A CONFERENCE CALL WITH TBM IN DALLAS, TX, AND AN ADVISORY SVC IN SAN ANGELO, TX. BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE G-MANEUVERS FAILED TO DISLODGE THE INNER DOOR. WE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL ADDITIONAL STANDARD AND MANUAL GEAR EXTENSIONS AND RETRACTIONS. AT THIS POINT WE CONTACTED EAU ARPT AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR SIT. WE CONTACTED ZMP, DECLARED AN EMER AND DECLARED OUR INTENT TO LAND AT EAU. AS WE BURNED OFF FUEL, WE ATTEMPTED FURTHER GEAR EXTENSIONS AND RETRACTIONS. THESE ALSO PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. WE EXECUTED A GEAR UP FORCED LNDG AT EAU. INSPECTION ON THE GND REVEALED A FRONT BROKEN HINGE ON THE R INNER GEAR DOOR. THE HINGE HAD SPLIT COMPLETELY IN A VERT PLANE CAUSING THE DOOR TO JAM INTO THE WHEEL WELL. WE FEEL THIS AREA OF TBM INNER GEAR DOORS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE NTSB IS IN THE PROCESS OF TESTING THE GEAR DOOR FOR FATIGUE OR DISTRESS FAILURE. IT IS THE OPINION OF RPTR THAT THE DESIGN IS FAULTY SINCE MANUFACTURER HAS REMOVED THE INNER DOOR AND REPLACED IT WITH A FAIRING. THAT IS WHAT RPTR'S COMPANY IS GOING TO DO ALSO. THERE ARE INNER AND OUTER DOORS ON THIS SYS. WHEN THE ACTUATOR IS ACTIVATED THE OUTER DOOR CLOSES WITH THE GEAR, THEN THE INNER DOORS CLOSE. IN THIS CASE WHEN THE FRONT HINGE BROKE, THE GEAR COULD NOT MOVE. THE PART WAS JAMMED INTO THE WHEEL AREA. RPTR'S COMPANY BOUGHT THE ACFT WITH 500 HRS ON IT AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW IT WAS TREATED DURING THOSE HRS. HIS COMPANY, HOWEVER, IS CONSERVATIVE IN ITS USE. THEY BELIEVE IT WAS A PART FAILURE BECAUSE THE BREAK WAS SO CLEAN. THE GEAR SPDS ARE VERY HIGH ON THIS ACFT, 178 KTS ON EXTENSION. THE GEAR IS USED TO ASSIST IN EMER DSCNT. RPTR FEELS THIS COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE FAA IS APPARENTLY WAITING FOR THE NTSB FINDINGS BEFORE ANY ACTION. THEY CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN INCIDENT, NOT AN ACCIDENT. ATC WAS VERY COOPERATIVE WITH FLC AND VECTORED AN ACR BENEATH THEM TO CONFIRM THE GEAR PROB WAS THE R MAIN. ON THE GEAR UP LNDG, FLC CHOSE TO DEAD STICK IN AND 2 OF THE 4 BLADED PROPS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL AS SOME BELLY SKIN. RPTR STATES THAT IN HIS PREFLT CHK HE DOES A 'JIGGLE TEST' OF THE GEAR DOOR AND THERE WAS NOTHING LOOSE AT THAT TIME. THE TBM IS A SINGLE ENG TURBO ACFT, 'A MALIBU WITH AN ATTITUDE!'

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.