Incident Summary
An aircraft executed a wheels-up landing after its landing gear failed to extend properly. The incident occurred during an approach behind a heavy jet, prompting the crew to fly a slightly higher path to avoid wake turbulence.
Flight Details
The first officer, handling the controls, called for landing gear extension. When the captain moved the gear handle down, red in-transit lights illuminated. The captain recycled the gear, but the lights persisted. Consulting the emergency checklist, the captain believed he had manually extended the gear after hearing a normal "clunk feel" and observing a decrease in airspeed. Additionally, the gear unsafe warning horn did not sound when power was reduced to flight idle. The first officer concurred, noting 2,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure.
Landing Gear Issues
The crew had previously experienced recurring gear unsafe indications, which had been attributed to a frozen squat switch in the wheel well. Despite this history, the aircraft proceeded to land with the gear retracted.
Postaccident Examination
After the landing, examination revealed that the nose gear had partially extended, but the main landing gear remained fully retracted. Propeller blade fragments had penetrated the fuselage, breaching the pressure vessel.