What happened
On November 12, 2019, a Boeing 737-8AS, registration SP-RSA, operated by Ryanair Sun S.A., was performing a scheduled flight from EPKK to LICJ. Immediately following takeoff from the departure aerodrome, the pilot monitoring attempted to retract the landing gear, but the procedure failed, leaving the gear in the extended position.
The flight crew notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the technical issue regarding the inability to retract the gear. ATC instructed the aircraft to level off at 6,000 feet and enter a holding pattern. The crew performed the "GEAR DISAGREE" procedure as outlined in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). Following the completion of the checklist, the crew decided to abort the flight to the destination and return to the departure airport. The aircraft landed safely at EPKK without further incident.
The investigation
An investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the gear retraction failure. Post-flight inspections of the aircraft revealed no structural or mechanical damage. Testing of the Proximity Switch Electronic Unit (PSEU), which monitors aircraft configuration and component position, showed no malfunctions in the systems responsible for monitoring the aircraft's state. The investigation found that the flight crew performed all necessary procedures correctly during the flight. Following the event, the operator replaced the landing gear lever module and the manual extension system access door switch.
Findings
- The probable cause of the incident was a malfunction of the landing gear lever module and manual extension system access door switch.
- No contributing factors were identified.