Accident Overview
During initial climb, the airplane's landing gear failed to fully retract. The pilot made several attempts to lower the landing gear, including the use of the emergency landing gear system, but all were unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently returned to the airport and executed a landing in the grass parallel to the runway.
Damage and Inspection
Due to the landing without properly configured gear, the airplane's firewall was damaged during the landing event. Responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors examined the aircraft and discovered that the wire cables which operate the landing gear had been insufficiently lubricated during the previous annual inspection. That inspection had been accomplished 18 days prior to the accident.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the landing gear malfunction was the insufficient lubrication of the landing gear wire cables during the prior annual inspection, which led to the failure of the gear to retract and then precluded normal and emergency extension.