AN SMA PLT HAD TO LOWER HIS LNDG GEAR MANUALLY.

Narrative

ON NOV/MON/93; MY ACFT; AN SMA; WAS BEING RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE IN BRIDGEPORT; CT; (BDR) WHEN THE FBO EMPLOYEE FLYING THE ACFT NOTICED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR FULLY. HE MADE SEVERAL LOW APCHS IN ORDER FOR THE TWR TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED. UPON CONFIRMING THAT HE ONLY HAD PARTIAL GEAR EXTENSION; HE CHOSE TO EXTEND THE GEAR MANUALLY. HE LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY PROB. I HAD JUST ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AND SPOKE TO THE PLT; WHO INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD PLACED A BOOK IN FRONT OF THE SMA'S EMER GEAR EXTENSION BAR; THUS BLOCKING IT AND CAUSING THE LNDG GEAR FUSE TO POP. THIS IS A COMMON PROB WITH THIS TYPE OF ACFT. I SPOKE WITH AN SMA PLT WHO HAD JUST LANDED AND WHO WAS ALSO AN A&P. BY BLOCKING THE EMER EXTENSION BAR; THE FUSE FOR THE LNDG GEAR WAS TRIGGERED. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT A LCL A&P CONFIRM OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE PROB; WHICH HE DID AND MADE A LOG ENTRY. I THEN PROCEEDED ON A FLT TO PROVIDENCE; RI; AND RETURNED TO BDR. WHILE ENRTE; I RECYCLED GEAR SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT EVENT. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO N79 IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY; PA; AND A GEAR RETRACTION TEST WAS DONE AND ANOTHER LOG ENTRY WAS MADE. AT NO TIME WAS MY ACFT NOT AIRWORTHY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 257531: GEAR EXTENSION FAILED DUE TO POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER. THIS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE EMER GEAR HANDLE GOT STUCK IN THE PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK MANUAL THAT WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR. IN THIS SMA IT IS OBVIOUS THAT NOTHING CAN BE LYING ON THE FLOOR. MY INACTION WAS MY CLUTTER LYING AROUND IN THE COCKPIT. A FACTOR THAT MADE MY SIT EASIER WAS THE FACT THAT THE ARPT CTLR COULD VISUALLY CONFIRM THE STATUS OF MY GEAR BEING UP AND LATER OF IT BEING DOWN.