Incident Overview
On March 24, 2012, at approximately 1711 central daylight time, a Cessna T337B (registration N2334S) operated by a private individual executed a landing with the landing gear retracted at Dothan Regional Airport (DHN) in Dothan, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, while the airline transport pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight had originated from Enterprise Municipal Airport (EDN) in Enterprise, Alabama, about 1405.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that after approximately 1.8 hours of flight, he decided to return to EDN. While performing the before-landing checklist, he moved the landing gear selector handle to the down position, but the gear did not fully extend and lock. He attempted emergency manual extension using the emergency landing gear handle but encountered great resistance after several pump strokes. He then pitched up and pushed the control yoke, which fully retracted the gear, and subsequently attempted multiple gear extensions without success. He proceeded to DHN, where a low pass by the air traffic control tower confirmed the gear was in an unsafe position. After climbing to altitude and again retracting the gear by pushing the yoke, he returned to DHN. He executed the gear-up landing procedures and touched down on grass adjacent to the paved runway. The airplane slid about 200 feet before coming to rest upright.
Postaccident Examination
Following the incident, the airplane was raised on jacks. An airframe and powerplant mechanic attempted to lower the landing gear using the emergency extension handle. The nose gear extended and locked, but the main landing gears only extended halfway before the handle encountered a hydraulic lock. The mechanic then manually pushed the main gears to the locked position, and the aircraft was lowered. The forward propeller was observed in the feathered position and horizontal.
Inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the aft engine firewall at the engine mounts. Photographs of the damage were reviewed by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Structures Aerospace Engineer, who confirmed that the damage constituted substantial damage because it affected structural strength and would require major repair or replacement.
Investigation Limitations
The aircraft owner was provided with an NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report and was instructed to surrender the hydraulic powerpack for investigation. Neither the report nor the powerpack was provided; consequently, no determination could be made regarding the cause of the landing gear malfunction reported by the pilot-in-command.
Aircraft Information
Review of the Pilot’s Operating Handbook disclosed that the procedures for landing with defective main gear specify landing on a hard-surfaced runway or a sod runway known to be smooth and level, and feathering the front propeller while positioning it horizontally.