ON CLBOUT; LTT HAS GEAR IN TRANSIT REMAIN ON AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. HYD PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN.

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EVENT OCCURRED AFTER DEP OF FLT FROM PADUCAH; KY; TO MEMPHIS; TN; ON A SAAB FAIRCHILD 340 A MODEL. ON TKOF; WHEN TRIED TO RETRACT THE GEAR IN A NORMAL CLB CONFIGN; IT WOULDN'T FULLY RETRACT. THIS WAS INDICATED BY THE GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HYD PUMP CONTINUING TO RUN. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR; BUT PROB PERSISTED. WE THEN EXTENDED THE GEAR AND ONLY HAD THE NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN GEAR LOCKED DOWN AND SAFE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE L MAIN GEAR LIGHT WAS NOT LIT AND THE GEAR UNSAFE/IN TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ON. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE GEAR UP AND UNSAFE; AND GEAR DOWN AND UNSAFE ABNORMAL CHKLISTS; AND THE EMER LNDG CHKLISTS. THE L MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT REMAINED OUT WITH THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ON. WE DECLARED AN EMER; ASKED FOR CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE; AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO PADUCAH AS PER OUR GEAR UNSAFE EMER CHKLIST ('LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT'). WE DID SEVERAL PASSES BY THE TWR FOR THEM TO OBSERVE IF THE GEAR AT LEAST APPEARED DOWN AND ALIGNED; OR IF ANYTHING APPEARED TO BE OBSTRUCTING THE EXTENSION OF THE GEAR. THE TWR OBSERVED NOTHING ABNORMAL. WE PROCEEDED TO HOLD TO BURN OFF EXCESS FUEL. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX WERE BRIEFED ON THE SIT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY. WE THEN EVACED THE PAX OVER THE R WING. WE WERE STILL UNCERTAIN OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE L MAIN. WHEN MAINT EXAMINED THE GEAR; THEY FOUND THE OVERCTR BRACE WAS NOT FULLY LOCKED DOWN. I FELT THE ENTIRE CREW PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. WHEN TROUBLESHOOTING; WE CONTACTED OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS BY PHONE TO INQUIRE IF WE NEEDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND FIRE THE FIRE BOTTLES IF THE GEAR HELD (ACCORDING TO OUR CHKLISTS; THIS IS PART OF THE PROC). HE SAID NOT TO AND ALSO TOLD US OK TO PROCEED TO PADUCAH. OUR CHIEF PLT THEN CONTACTED US AND TOLD US TO RETURN TO MEMPHIS. WE TOLD HIM OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS HAD OK'ED US BACK TO PADUCAH. HE LATER SAID HE QUESTIONED OUR JUDGEMENT. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE ONLY 1 PERSON IN CHARGE IN A SIT SUCH AS THIS; WITHOUT GETTING CONFLICTING ORDERS. ALSO; WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO PROCEED TO MEMPHIS; AS THE MAINT FACILITIES ARE BETTER; THE PAX WOULD HAVE PREFERRED IT; AND BY DOING THIS; THE SAFETY OF FLT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. HOWEVER; THE CHKLIST SAID TO RETURN TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. I ALSO BELIEVE THE CHKLIST SHOULD HAVE SAID ONLY 'SUITABLE ARPT' IN A SIT SUCH AS THIS SO THAT THE PLTS CAN USE THEIR OWN DISCRETION.