Narrative:

My student and I had just departed; beginning a VFR cross country. My student alerted me that there was no gear indications at all when we were 400 ft AGL; and when he attempted to get the gear up; nothing happened. I took the controls and asked advisory tower to see if the gear appeared down from the tower's point of view. We did a low approach while tower viewed our landing gear with binoculars. They said it appeared to be down so we went around while I continued to recycle the gear and hoped for any indication (preferably 3 green lights). I slowed the aircraft; and as we touched down; the left main gear collapsed while the right main and nose gear stayed down and locked. We maintained the runway centerline and eventually came to a complete stop. The aircraft was removed from the runway; and as soon as the master switch was turned on; the landing gear apparently displayed 3 green lights and the left main gear went down and locked. I definitely learned from this experience and feel like I could have done more to at least troubleshoot the situation more thoroughly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA44 STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR SUFFER GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I HAD JUST DEPARTED; BEGINNING A VFR XCOUNTRY. MY STUDENT ALERTED ME THAT THERE WAS NO GEAR INDICATIONS AT ALL WHEN WE WERE 400 FT AGL; AND WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO GET THE GEAR UP; NOTHING HAPPENED. I TOOK THE CTLS AND ASKED ADVISORY TWR TO SEE IF THE GEAR APPEARED DOWN FROM THE TWR'S POINT OF VIEW. WE DID A LOW APCH WHILE TWR VIEWED OUR LNDG GEAR WITH BINOCULARS. THEY SAID IT APPEARED TO BE DOWN SO WE WENT AROUND WHILE I CONTINUED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR AND HOPED FOR ANY INDICATION (PREFERABLY 3 GREEN LIGHTS). I SLOWED THE ACFT; AND AS WE TOUCHED DOWN; THE L MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE THE R MAIN AND NOSE GEAR STAYED DOWN AND LOCKED. WE MAINTAINED THE RWY CTRLINE AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RWY; AND AS SOON AS THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON; THE LNDG GEAR APPARENTLY DISPLAYED 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND THE L MAIN GEAR WENT DOWN AND LOCKED. I DEFINITELY LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO AT LEAST TROUBLESHOOT THE SITUATION MORE THOROUGHLY.

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.