PLT OF SMA ACFT MADE EMER GEAR UP LNDG AFTER THE GEAR RETRACTIONS SYS FAILED; EVEN MANUALLY.
Synopsis
PLT OF SMA ACFT MADE EMER GEAR UP LNDG AFTER THE GEAR RETRACTIONS SYS FAILED; EVEN MANUALLY.
Narrative
I HAD TO LAND GEAR UP. I HAD ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND THEN THE EMER PROC WOULD NOT WORK. I HAD BEEN CLRED INTO THE BALTIMORE TCA. I HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 33R. I FELT I SHOULD HAVE HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN; SO I TRIED TO CONTACT BWI APCH. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT ME. I REALIZED MY ELECTRICS WERE GOING AND I TOLD THAT TO BWI APCH AND SAID I WAS GOING TO GO TO BAY BRIDGE ARPT. THEY REPEATED THAT I WAS GOING TO GO TO BAY BRIDGE. I TRIED FOR SOME TIME TO GET THE LNDG GEARS DOWN. THEY WOULD NOT DROP. I FELT THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A GEAR MOTOR RELEASE. AFTER 2 HRS I BUZZED BAY BRIDGE ARPT AND ROCKED MY WINGS. I DID THIS AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND THEN CLBED WITHIN VIEW OF THE ARPT HANGAR. FBO HAD DONE MY ANNUAL WAS OPEN. I WAS TRYING TO GET ATTN AS TO MY PLIGHT. I DID NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE HAD FIGURED OUT MY PROBLEM. I BUZZED THEM AGAIN AND FLEW TO EASTON. I DECIDED THAT IF I HAD TO COME IN GEAR UP THAT THAT WAS WHERE I WAS GOING TO GO. I NOTICED THAT THE POLICE WERE BLOCKING ROADS AND I WONDERED WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT. I MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES TO DECIDED WHAT TO DO. THEN I WENT UP HIGH IN ALT AND WORKED ON TRYING TO GET THE GEARS DOWN. I TIRED OF THAT AND DECIDED TO MAKE ANOTHER PASS. THERE WAS FIRE EQUIP ALL OVER THE PLACE. I WAS GREATFUL THAT MY PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIGURED OUT. I HAD MY HELP. I STILL HAD AT LEAST 120 GALLONS OF FUEL. BOTH TIP TANKS WERE FULL (30 GALLONS TOTAL). I FELT THEY WERE POTENTIAL BOMBS. I COULD NOT DRAIN THEM WITHOUT ELECTRICS. SO I CLOCKED AND FLEW 5 HRS. I FELT I DID NOT DARE ALLOW A TANK TO RUN DRY; BUT WITH MY SLOW FLYING TRYING TO DROP THE GEARS AND MY BUZZING; I DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MY TOTAL FUEL FLOW WAS. AT 5 HRS I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GO FOR IT. ALSO; I HAD BUZZED THE FIELD JUST ENOUGH TIMES TO KEEP THE FIRE TRUCKS THERE. WHEN I WAS READY; I WENT IN. THE PROP WAS STILL WINDMILLING; BUT I HAD CUT THE ENGS. MY PROBLEM WAS TO KEEP THE NOSE UP (SMA ACFT SEL-COMPLEX) TO KEEP THE WING TIPS LEVEL -- FULL OF FUEL. I BENT THE PROP -- ONE 18 INCH BY 10 INCH PIECE OF PANEL WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. OF COURSE; I CLEANED OFF THE ANTENNAS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.