Incident Summary
An airplane was substantially damaged during a gear-up landing. The pilot and a passenger were not injured. After the emergency landing, when the airplane was jacked up, the landing gear locked into place.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine acted as if it were going to quit. This lasted about three seconds, after which the engine returned to running smoothly. Approximately 10 miles later, the same engine behavior occurred again. The pilot then decided to divert for a precautionary landing.
When attempting to lower the landing gear, it would only partially extend. The pilot noted mirrors on both wings for checking the gear and observed that only the nose wheel was down; the main gear was out of its cradle but not forward and locked. Attempts to use the emergency gear extension were unsuccessful, leading the pilot to execute a gear-up landing.
Investigation Findings
A post-accident inspection revealed a hydraulic leak located in the nose landing gear wheel well. The hydraulic reservoir contained little or no fluid.