A DC10-30 on initial climb at 500 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to center landing gear unsafe indication. Caused by a failed retract cylinder.

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Attributes
ACN	653724
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-10 Conversion
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	653724
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : landing gear position ind other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On takeoff from ZZZ; raised the gear; first officer noticed a red light in the center gear. We confirmed the unsafe gear indication with our secondary instruments. Immediately advised approach control that we had a center gear unsafe indication; requested a leveloff at 5000 ft; and kept our speed down to 210 KTS. We requested vectors back to runway 36C at ZZZ. In accordance with our checklist; we put the gear handle down and still continued to have an unsafe gear indication. Declared an emergency; requested permission to dump fuel. Asked approach to vector us around south of the field while we accomplished numerous abnormal checklists concerning our unsafe gear. Coordinated with approach to relay to tower that we would be stopping straight ahead on the runway and 'maintenance' pin our gears and tow us back into the gate. On short final; had tower look us over and confirm center gear was up. An uneventful landing accomplished. Maintenance later confirmed a hydraulic center strut leak caused the center gear to be stuck in a partially down position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after landing; maintenance discovered the end cap on the center main gear retract cylinder had failed with the landing gear partially retracted to about 45 degrees.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-30 ON INITIAL CLB AT 500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO CTR LNDG GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION. CAUSED BY A FAILED RETRACT CYLINDER.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM ZZZ; RAISED THE GEAR; FO NOTICED A RED LIGHT IN THE CTR GEAR. WE CONFIRMED THE UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION WITH OUR SECONDARY INSTS. IMMEDIATELY ADVISED APCH CTL THAT WE HAD A CTR GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION; REQUESTED A LEVELOFF AT 5000 FT; AND KEPT OUR SPD DOWN TO 210 KTS. WE REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO RWY 36C AT ZZZ. IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR CHKLIST; WE PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN AND STILL CONTINUED TO HAVE AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. DECLARED AN EMER; REQUESTED PERMISSION TO DUMP FUEL. ASKED APCH TO VECTOR US AROUND S OF THE FIELD WHILE WE ACCOMPLISHED NUMEROUS ABNORMAL CHKLISTS CONCERNING OUR UNSAFE GEAR. COORDINATED WITH APCH TO RELAY TO TWR THAT WE WOULD BE STOPPING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE RWY AND 'MAINT' PIN OUR GEARS AND TOW US BACK INTO THE GATE. ON SHORT FINAL; HAD TWR LOOK US OVER AND CONFIRM CTR GEAR WAS UP. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. MAINT LATER CONFIRMED A HYD CTR STRUT LEAK CAUSED THE CTR GEAR TO BE STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DOWN POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER LNDG; MAINT DISCOVERED THE END CAP ON THE CTR MAIN GEAR RETRACT CYLINDER HAD FAILED WITH THE LNDG GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED TO ABOUT 45 DEGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.