Approach and Landing Gear Issue
During an approach behind a heavy jet, the crew agreed to fly a slightly higher altitude than normal to avoid potential wake turbulence. The first officer, who was flying, called for landing gear extension. When the captain moved the gear handle to DOWN, red IN-TRANSIT lights illuminated. He recycled the gear but the lights remained. Consulting the emergency checklist, he believed he had manually extended the gear after hearing a normal "clunk feel" and noticing airspeed decay. Additionally, when power was reduced to flight idle, the GEAR UNSAFE warning horn did not sound. The first officer confirmed 2,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure.
Landing and Damage
The airplane landed with the wheels up. Propeller blade fragments penetrated the fuselage, breaching the pressure vessel. Postaccident examination revealed that the nose landing gear had partially extended, but the main landing gear remained retracted.
Recurring Indication
The crew reported that the GEAR UNSAFE indication had been a recurring issue with the airplane. Previously, the problem had been attributed to a frozen squat switch in the wheel well.