PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WHEN OPERATING THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTION SYS DURING A MAINT SPECIAL PERMIT FLT WHICH PROHIBITED RETRACTION OF THE GEAR.

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THE MECH AT 5C8 WAS ANNUALING AN SMA. HE COULD NOT DO A RETRACT TEST; SO HE WAS SENDING IT TO TOPEKA; BILLARD ARPT TO ANOTHER MAINT FACILITY TO HAVE THE LNDG GEAR RETRACT TEST AND INSPECTION DONE. I WAS ASKED TO FLY THE PLANE TO TOPEKA. THE MECH SHOWED ME THE LOGBOOKS AND THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT LYING ON THE BACK SEAT. I RECALL HIS WORDS TO ME AS: 'I THINK THE GEAR SPD ON THIS THING IS 160.' I WAS PUZZLED AS TO WHY HE SAID THIS AS I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT; HAVING FLOWN IT ON MANY OCCASIONS. I DEPARTED THE ARPT (5C8) AND RETRACTED THE GEAR. THE UP LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I TESTED THE LIGHT AND IT WAS WORKING. I RECYCLED THE GEAR DOWN (GREEN LIGHT) AND BACK UP (NO RED LIGHT; AGAIN). I DECIDED TO PUT THE GEAR BACK DOWN AND LEAVE IT. THIS TIME I GOT NO GREEN AND THE GEAR WARNING SOUNDED WHEN I PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE. I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE HAND PUMP; BUT THE HANDLE WAS JAMMED AND COULD NOT BE PULLED OUT. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AGAIN AND GOT A GREEN LIGHT AND NO HORN. I CONTINUED THE FLT AND LANDED NORMALLY. AS I WAS TURNING OFF THE RWY; THE GEAR HORN CAME ON. THE GREEN LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY TO THE MAINT FACILITY. AFTER PARKING; I READ THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT AND IT SAID GEAR WAS TO REMAIN DOWN DURING FLT. SEVERAL PARTS IN THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR WELL WERE DAMAGED AND I RECEIVED A SCATHING LETTER FROM THE MECH. MY FIRST MISTAKE WAS NOT QUESTIONING THE MECH THOROUGHLY BEFORE FLYING THE PLANE. MY SECOND MISTAKE WAS NOT READING THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT AND CHKING THE LOGBOOKS BEFORE FLYING AN ACFT KNOWN TO BE UNAIRWORTHY. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT WAS NEEDED JUST BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS OUT OF AN ANNUAL. ALSO; BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT; I WAS NOT AS CAREFUL CHKING OUT THE SIT AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH AN UNFAMILIAR PLANE.