What happened
While en route, the pilot encountered turbulence and climbed to 10,500 feet. Upon crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the pilot observed an overcast layer over the San Joaquin Valley. Because the pilot did not hold an instrument rating, a decision was made to divert back across the mountains toward the airport where the accident occurred.
During the descent, the aircraft encountered very heavy turbulence. While on the downwind leg, the pilot selected the landing gear to the down position; however, the gear failed to extend, and the position lights provided neither an up nor a down indication. The pilot observed that the landing gear circuit breaker had popped out and attempted to reset it, but the breaker immediately popped back out.
The pilot then activated the emergency gear extension system, noting that the handle felt locked after being pulled. During the approach, the pilot encountered strong crosswinds and turbulence. Just after touchdown, the landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to skid approximately 200 feet along the runway. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the landing gear system to extend normally. It was noted that the landing gear circuit breaker failed to remain reset after multiple attempts.