Background
A recently painted aircraft was being flown from Prospectville, Pennsylvania, to Farmingdale, New York. Before arrival, the pilot obtained a Special VFR clearance.
Incident
On the downwind leg for Runway 19, the pilot lowered the landing gear. An abnormal noise was heard and no safe indication was observed. The pilot then cycled the landing gear and received normal indications on both the lights and mechanical indicators. After turning onto final approach, a 360-degree turn was executed to lose altitude, and the landing was continued. A witness on the ground observed the aircraft on final approach and during the landing with its landing gear retracted.
Investigation
Examination of the aircraft after landing revealed that the landing gear handle was in the down position, but the mechanical indicator showed the gear in the up position. The landing gear relay circuit breaker was found in the tripped or pulled-out position. When the battery was first turned on to check the system, an odor from an electrical component was noted, and the relay circuit breaker was pulled. Subsequently, both the emergency and normal landing gear systems were tested, and no discrepancies were found.