Narrative:

Took off in cavu weather. Main gear indicated 'unsafe up.' then started cycling 'up' to 'unsafe up' continuously. We felt some pronounced unusual drag on the airplane and it continued throughout the event. Pulled emergency gear handle in accordance with the checklist and got three green. Attempted to stow handle and I could not move the handle or the button at all. Maintenance came to ready the aircraft for ferry and when he pulled up on the handle it broke off in his hand. I am concerned by the fact that I couldn't get the handle stowed; we were close to the airport but hydraulic temperature would have been a problem if we weren't. And when did a crack develop in that handle. Are the handles ever inspected or replaced? It might have been a bad thing if it had come off in my hand. Put those handles on the inspection cycle! And why couldn't I stow it? Apparently there was unusual pressure on the button because the maintenance guy had a problem too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65's landing gear indication cycled between 'up' and 'unsafe' after takeoff. The crew declared an emergency; returned to the departure airport and as maintenance prepared the aircraft for a ferry flight; the Emergency Gear handle fractured.

Narrative: Took off in CAVU weather. Main gear indicated 'unsafe up.' Then started cycling 'up' to 'unsafe up' continuously. We felt some pronounced unusual drag on the airplane and it continued throughout the event. Pulled Emergency Gear handle in accordance with the checklist and got three green. Attempted to stow handle and I could not move the handle or the button at all. Maintenance came to ready the aircraft for ferry and when he pulled up on the handle it broke off in his hand. I am concerned by the fact that I couldn't get the handle stowed; we were close to the airport but hydraulic temperature would have been a problem if we weren't. And when did a crack develop in that handle. Are the handles ever inspected or replaced? It might have been a bad thing if it had come off in my hand. Put those handles on the inspection cycle! And why couldn't I stow it? Apparently there was unusual pressure on the button because the maintenance guy had a problem too.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.