Narrative:

Upon retracting the landing gear after takeoff on an instrument training flight, we heard an unusual noise and noticed that the yellow caution light above the gear control handle remained illuminated. After recycling the gear lever to the down position, the yellow caution light stayed on, and the green nose gear light failed to illuminate. We asked the tower to approve a low pass over the runway so that they might observe and report the status of the nose gear. The tower operator indicated that the gear appeared to be stuck at a 45 degree angle from the vertical. We activated the emergency landing gear extension handle in accordance with the procedures contained in the poh, but the nose gear green light remained off. We reviewed the procedures for landing with gear problems and decided to touch down on the sod adjacent to the main runway. We accomplished the landing with minimum damage to the aircraft although the nose gear well covers and all 3 propeller blades were damaged. There were no injuries. An initial inspection by the recovery team revealed that the landing gear connecting rod bearing had failed at the point where the rod attaches to the retraction motor. That explains why the activation of the emergency landing gear extension handle failed to solve the problem initially.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR UP LNDG OFF THE RWY ON THE GRASS IN A BE33A DAMAGES THE NOSE GEAR DOOR AND PROP AFTER AN EMER LNDG PLANNED AT BOW, FL.

Narrative: UPON RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR AFTER TKOF ON AN INST TRAINING FLT, WE HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT ABOVE THE GEAR CTL HANDLE REMAINED ILLUMINATED. AFTER RECYCLING THE GEAR LEVER TO THE DOWN POS, THE YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT STAYED ON, AND THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. WE ASKED THE TWR TO APPROVE A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY SO THAT THEY MIGHT OBSERVE AND RPT THE STATUS OF THE NOSE GEAR. THE TWR OPERATOR INDICATED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE STUCK AT A 45 DEG ANGLE FROM THE VERT. WE ACTIVATED THE EMER LNDG GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCS CONTAINED IN THE POH, BUT THE NOSE GEAR GREEN LIGHT REMAINED OFF. WE REVIEWED THE PROCS FOR LNDG WITH GEAR PROBS AND DECIDED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE SOD ADJACENT TO THE MAIN RWY. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE LNDG WITH MINIMUM DAMAGE TO THE ACFT ALTHOUGH THE NOSE GEAR WELL COVERS AND ALL 3 PROP BLADES WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AN INITIAL INSPECTION BY THE RECOVERY TEAM REVEALED THAT THE LNDG GEAR CONNECTING ROD BEARING HAD FAILED AT THE POINT WHERE THE ROD ATTACHES TO THE RETRACTION MOTOR. THAT EXPLAINS WHY THE ACTIVATION OF THE EMER LNDG GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE FAILED TO SOLVE THE PROB INITIALLY.

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.