Incident Description
During cruise flight, the pilot detected a fragrance similar to solvent. Shortly thereafter, the landing gear warning light illuminated, extinguished, repeated this sequence, and ultimately remained illuminated continuously. The air traffic control tower was notified of the situation, and a flyby was performed to allow visual assessment.
Landing and Collapse
Attempts to extend all three landing gear and obtain a safe gear indication were unsuccessful. During the subsequent landing rollout, the left main landing gear collapsed.
Examination Findings
Post-incident examination revealed that the left main landing gear would not fully extend. The O-rings in the hydraulic cylinder had failed, and hydraulic fluid had leaked out.