Narrative:

I departed fdk at approximately XA45Z. I climbed to 5500 ft. Shortly after departure, just to the southwest of lancaster, PA, I heard a relatively loud pop coming from the engine compartment. The sound of the engine changed and I noticed a loss of approximately 10 KTS airspeed. I suspected some type of engine problem, and immediately reduced power as a precaution. However, I did not observe any other indication of an engine problem. All temperatures and the oil pressure remained normal as I gradually increased power again. I determined that I would make a precautionary landing at lns. I called lns tower and advised that I was inbound. I stayed high in case there was an engine problem. When it was clear that I could make the airport, I attempted to lower the gear, but nothing happened. I advised lns tower that I would remain outside their pattern because I was having difficulty lowering the gear. They cleared me to orbit the field. I spent approximately the next hour following the emergency procedures to extend the landing gear numerous times. I was unable to pump the gear down manually or to get the electric hydraulic system to operate. It appeared that the hydraulic pump was running so I suspected a loss of hydraulic fluid. I did not have a green light for the gear, so I asked the tower for permission to conduct a low approach to determine if the gear was partially extended. They cleared me for a low approach and confirmed that the main gear was partially extended and trailing. Lns tower offered to relay a request to the FBO on the field and they allowed me to speak to the maintenance staff on the unicom frequency to ask if they had any additional suggestions. We were not successful and I asked the tower for clearance to land. The tower staff arranged for emergency services and cleared me to land. I set up the approach following the procedures in the poh. I shut the engine off on final and completed the landing dead stick. I hoped to get the propeller stopped prior to touchdown, but I was not successful. The landing was smooth and uneventful except for the fact that the gear was only partially extended. Damage to the aircraft was minor. Subsequently, it was determined that a hydraulic line to the nose gear had failed in-flight. This was the pop that I had heard coming from the engine compartment. This had allowed the landing gear to partially extend in-flight and had caused the loss of airspeed. At that point, the hydraulic fluid was lost and neither the electric pump nor the manual pump was capable of pumping the gear down. Lessons learned for me: not all that pops in the engine compartment indicates an engine problem. I should have realized sooner that I had a gear problem rather than an engine problem. I am certain that the 'gear up' light must have gone out and the 'gear in transit' light must have come on as soon as the line failed and the gear partially extended, but I did not notice. I was fixated on the idea that it must be an engine problem. (It would not have made any difference since the hydraulic fluid was already gone.) I never realized until now that both system to lower the gear in the C177RG are dependent upon the single hydraulic fluid system. It has an electric pump that is the standard method of operating the gear. It has a backup system that uses a manual pump. However, the manual pump uses the same hydraulic fluid. I should have realized this previously. There is no substitute for studying the system on your aircraft. The landing gear on a C177RG will probably not 'free fall' into place if hydraulic fluid is lost. The poh does not even mention trying to get the gear to free fall. I should have known this before I bought the aircraft. It probably would not have made any difference -- I love the aircraft. However, there is no substitute for knowledge about your aircraft and its system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARTIAL GEAR UP LNDG IN A C177RG AT LNS ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FDK AT APPROX XA45Z. I CLBED TO 5500 FT. SHORTLY AFTER DEP, JUST TO THE SW OF LANCASTER, PA, I HEARD A RELATIVELY LOUD POP COMING FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THE SOUND OF THE ENG CHANGED AND I NOTICED A LOSS OF APPROX 10 KTS AIRSPD. I SUSPECTED SOME TYPE OF ENG PROB, AND IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AS A PRECAUTION. HOWEVER, I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY OTHER INDICATION OF AN ENG PROB. ALL TEMPS AND THE OIL PRESSURE REMAINED NORMAL AS I GRADUALLY INCREASED PWR AGAIN. I DETERMINED THAT I WOULD MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT LNS. I CALLED LNS TWR AND ADVISED THAT I WAS INBOUND. I STAYED HIGH IN CASE THERE WAS AN ENG PROB. WHEN IT WAS CLR THAT I COULD MAKE THE ARPT, I ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I ADVISED LNS TWR THAT I WOULD REMAIN OUTSIDE THEIR PATTERN BECAUSE I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY LOWERING THE GEAR. THEY CLRED ME TO ORBIT THE FIELD. I SPENT APPROX THE NEXT HR FOLLOWING THE EMER PROCS TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR NUMEROUS TIMES. I WAS UNABLE TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN MANUALLY OR TO GET THE ELECTRIC HYD SYS TO OPERATE. IT APPEARED THAT THE HYD PUMP WAS RUNNING SO I SUSPECTED A LOSS OF HYD FLUID. I DID NOT HAVE A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE GEAR, SO I ASKED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO CONDUCT A LOW APCH TO DETERMINE IF THE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THEY CLRED ME FOR A LOW APCH AND CONFIRMED THAT THE MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED AND TRAILING. LNS TWR OFFERED TO RELAY A REQUEST TO THE FBO ON THE FIELD AND THEY ALLOWED ME TO SPEAK TO THE MAINT STAFF ON THE UNICOM FREQ TO ASK IF THEY HAD ANY ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS. WE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL AND I ASKED THE TWR FOR CLRNC TO LAND. THE TWR STAFF ARRANGED FOR EMER SVCS AND CLRED ME TO LAND. I SET UP THE APCH FOLLOWING THE PROCS IN THE POH. I SHUT THE ENG OFF ON FINAL AND COMPLETED THE LNDG DEAD STICK. I HOPED TO GET THE PROP STOPPED PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, BUT I WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE LNDG WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE GEAR WAS ONLY PARTIALLY EXTENDED. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINOR. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A HYD LINE TO THE NOSE GEAR HAD FAILED INFLT. THIS WAS THE POP THAT I HAD HEARD COMING FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THIS HAD ALLOWED THE LNDG GEAR TO PARTIALLY EXTEND INFLT AND HAD CAUSED THE LOSS OF AIRSPD. AT THAT POINT, THE HYD FLUID WAS LOST AND NEITHER THE ELECTRIC PUMP NOR THE MANUAL PUMP WAS CAPABLE OF PUMPING THE GEAR DOWN. LESSONS LEARNED FOR ME: NOT ALL THAT POPS IN THE ENG COMPARTMENT INDICATES AN ENG PROB. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED SOONER THAT I HAD A GEAR PROB RATHER THAN AN ENG PROB. I AM CERTAIN THAT THE 'GEAR UP' LIGHT MUST HAVE GONE OUT AND THE 'GEAR IN TRANSIT' LIGHT MUST HAVE COME ON AS SOON AS THE LINE FAILED AND THE GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED, BUT I DID NOT NOTICE. I WAS FIXATED ON THE IDEA THAT IT MUST BE AN ENG PROB. (IT WOULD NOT HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE SINCE THE HYD FLUID WAS ALREADY GONE.) I NEVER REALIZED UNTIL NOW THAT BOTH SYS TO LOWER THE GEAR IN THE C177RG ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE SINGLE HYD FLUID SYS. IT HAS AN ELECTRIC PUMP THAT IS THE STANDARD METHOD OF OPERATING THE GEAR. IT HAS A BACKUP SYS THAT USES A MANUAL PUMP. HOWEVER, THE MANUAL PUMP USES THE SAME HYD FLUID. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THIS PREVIOUSLY. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR STUDYING THE SYS ON YOUR ACFT. THE LNDG GEAR ON A C177RG WILL PROBABLY NOT 'FREE FALL' INTO PLACE IF HYD FLUID IS LOST. THE POH DOES NOT EVEN MENTION TRYING TO GET THE GEAR TO FREE FALL. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE ACFT. IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE -- I LOVE THE ACFT. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUR ACFT AND ITS SYS.

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.