Narrative:

On departure from runway 36R at mco, we experienced difficulty in retracting the landing gear. When we were xferred to departure, we advised mco that we were experiencing a gear retraction problem, and we might need to return for a landing. We requested radar vectors while we recycled the landing gear. We were allowed to climb to 6000 ft and vectored within mco's airspace. We checked our circuit breakers, consulted our checklist and cycled the gear switch several times but the gear remained down and locked. At this point we elected to return for landing but we were 700 pounds above landing weight. Rather than flying for an additional 30 mins to burn off the 700 pounds, we elected to dump fuel and coordinated the fuel dump with mco. When the fuel dump was complete and we were being vectored back for landing, we again cycled the gear and it worked flawlessly, but now we would need to refuel before returning to our destination (pwk). We ascertained the problem as a stuck squat switch, possibly due to the recent paint of the airplane. We landed, inspected the gear visually, refueled, and departed to pwk without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was checked on the ground and the best guess was paint overspray on a gear position warning switch. The reporter said the landing gear operated normally back to pwk where the aircraft was jacked and the landing gear tested and operated normally. The reporter said the airplane had been in mco for a complete paint job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAR 35 RETURNED TO THE FIELD AFTER DEP AND DUMPING FUEL DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM RWY 36R AT MCO, WE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR. WHEN WE WERE XFERRED TO DEP, WE ADVISED MCO THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING A GEAR RETRACTION PROB, AND WE MIGHT NEED TO RETURN FOR A LNDG. WE REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS WHILE WE RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR. WE WERE ALLOWED TO CLB TO 6000 FT AND VECTORED WITHIN MCO'S AIRSPACE. WE CHKED OUR CIRCUIT BREAKERS, CONSULTED OUR CHKLIST AND CYCLED THE GEAR SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE GEAR REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED. AT THIS POINT WE ELECTED TO RETURN FOR LNDG BUT WE WERE 700 LBS ABOVE LNDG WT. RATHER THAN FLYING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINS TO BURN OFF THE 700 LBS, WE ELECTED TO DUMP FUEL AND COORDINATED THE FUEL DUMP WITH MCO. WHEN THE FUEL DUMP WAS COMPLETE AND WE WERE BEING VECTORED BACK FOR LNDG, WE AGAIN CYCLED THE GEAR AND IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY, BUT NOW WE WOULD NEED TO REFUEL BEFORE RETURNING TO OUR DEST (PWK). WE ASCERTAINED THE PROB AS A STUCK SQUAT SWITCH, POSSIBLY DUE TO THE RECENT PAINT OF THE AIRPLANE. WE LANDED, INSPECTED THE GEAR VISUALLY, REFUELED, AND DEPARTED TO PWK WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS CHKED ON THE GND AND THE BEST GUESS WAS PAINT OVERSPRAY ON A GEAR POS WARNING SWITCH. THE RPTR SAID THE LNDG GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY BACK TO PWK WHERE THE ACFT WAS JACKED AND THE LNDG GEAR TESTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN MCO FOR A COMPLETE PAINT JOB.

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.