What happened
On October 7, 2023, a Cessna 560 operated by Arrendadora 1721, C.A., departed from Maiquetía International Airport (SVMI) bound for El Yaqué, Nueva Esparta. The flight was operated by a two-person crew and was configured for a 35-minute flight with approximately three hours of fuel autonomy.
During the initial climb phase, approximately 10 nautical miles from the airport, the crew performed the after-takeoff checklist. During this procedure, the pilot in command observed a GEAR UNLOCKED indication on the instrument panel. As the aircraft showed no physical limitations or vibrations, the crew initially suspected an unlatched gear door or a microswitch interruption.
To ensure operational safety, the crew notified Maiquetía Approach Control of their intention to return to the airport due to the unsecured gear indication. Upon preparing for landing, the crew extended the landing gear and confirmed that all three green lights were illuminated, indicating the gear was down and locked. The aircraft landed safely on runway 10L at 16:03 UTC with no injuries to the crew and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The JIAAC conducted an inspection of the aircraft, registration YV1018, focusing on the landing gear, gear doors, and the system's microswitch. Following the manufacturer's maintenance manual (AMM 32-60-00), investigators performed troubleshooting on the position and warning system.
The technical team conducted a visual inspection of the landing gear, linkages, and doors, finding no discrepancies. The investigation included cleaning the connectors and the microswitch. Subsequent functional tests involving multiple extension and retraction cycles were performed, and the landing gear operated satisfactorily without any recurrence of the warning.
Findings
- The investigation found that the system did not exhibit any irregularities that could adversely influence operations during testing.
- The specific failure related to the potential malfunction of the landing gear door microswitch did not repeat during functional testing cycles.