Flight crew of a C550 had no indication that the right main landing gear was down during a visual ap...

Attributes
ACN	490951
Time
Date	200011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sdf.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : missed approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	490951
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During the approach phase into jamesville, ind, while receiving vectors for the ILS and established on the localizer at the OM, I saw the complete airport area, so I decided to cancel IFR airborne, not realizing that the ceiling was sloping down from broken clouds. At the OM, I requested gear down and observed no gear light on the right main of the aircraft. I decided to level off and cycle the gear 3 times, but it did not fix the problem. I continued lower but at that time realized I could not maintain VFR unless I climb 800-1000 ft into VFR over broken layers of clouds. I returned back to approach control but my initial call to ATC I called by another aircraft number that I flew the day before in the confusion. Very concerned about obstacles, my best option was 3000 ft MSL, the MSA for the area. I then requested vector and altitude from approach control to handle the landing gear problem. I was given a squawk code and maintain 3000 ft. After some period of troubleshooting the problem, I requested to land at louisville, ky, requested the ILS and emergency standing by. After completing the emergency gear down checklist, I was confident that the gear was down and locked by selecting full flaps, rotary switch, visual check etc, but still I decided to blow down the gear which I could not pull the handle out. The copilot and myself 'tried.' I proceeded to perform a fly-by by the tower for further confirmation, which confirmed the gear down. I proceeded to land at louisville with no problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A C550 HAD NO INDICATION THAT THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN DURING A VISUAL APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. DIVERTED TO LAND AND FIRST HAD GEAR VISUALLY CHKED BY TWR. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: DURING THE APCH PHASE INTO JAMESVILLE, IND, WHILE RECEIVING VECTORS FOR THE ILS AND ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AT THE OM, I SAW THE COMPLETE ARPT AREA, SO I DECIDED TO CANCEL IFR AIRBORNE, NOT REALIZING THAT THE CEILING WAS SLOPING DOWN FROM BROKEN CLOUDS. AT THE OM, I REQUESTED GEAR DOWN AND OBSERVED NO GEAR LIGHT ON THE R MAIN OF THE ACFT. I DECIDED TO LEVEL OFF AND CYCLE THE GEAR 3 TIMES, BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROB. I CONTINUED LOWER BUT AT THAT TIME REALIZED I COULD NOT MAINTAIN VFR UNLESS I CLB 800-1000 FT INTO VFR OVER BROKEN LAYERS OF CLOUDS. I RETURNED BACK TO APCH CTL BUT MY INITIAL CALL TO ATC I CALLED BY ANOTHER ACFT NUMBER THAT I FLEW THE DAY BEFORE IN THE CONFUSION. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OBSTACLES, MY BEST OPTION WAS 3000 FT MSL, THE MSA FOR THE AREA. I THEN REQUESTED VECTOR AND ALT FROM APCH CTL TO HANDLE THE LNDG GEAR PROB. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB, I REQUESTED TO LAND AT LOUISVILLE, KY, REQUESTED THE ILS AND EMER STANDING BY. AFTER COMPLETING THE EMER GEAR DOWN CHKLIST, I WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BY SELECTING FULL FLAPS, ROTARY SWITCH, VISUAL CHK ETC, BUT STILL I DECIDED TO BLOW DOWN THE GEAR WHICH I COULD NOT PULL THE HANDLE OUT. THE COPLT AND MYSELF 'TRIED.' I PROCEEDED TO PERFORM A FLY-BY BY THE TWR FOR FURTHER CONFIRMATION, WHICH CONFIRMED THE GEAR DOWN. I PROCEEDED TO LAND AT LOUISVILLE WITH NO PROBS.

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.

Flight crew of a C550 had no indication that the right main landing gear was down during a visual approach to an uncontrolled airport. Diverted to land and first had gear visually checked by tower. Landed without incident.