What happened
Immediately after takeoff, the pilot observed that the landing gear indicator failed to show an up and locked position. In an attempt to rectify the issue, the pilot cycled the landing gear; however, the indication remained unchanged. The pilot subsequently performed a landing, during which the gear collapsed after the aircraft had rolled approximately 300 feet.
The incident resulted in substantial damage to the propeller, engine mounts, firewall, and a bulkhead.
The investigation
An examination of the landing gear system revealed that the system was improperly rigged. This improper rigging prevented the locking mechanism from maintaining the gear in either the up and locked or down and locked positions. Additionally, investigators found that the landing gear motor brakes exhibited excessive wear. A review of the aircraft logbooks indicated that the landing gear had undergone extensive maintenance approximately 30 hours before the accident.