LNDG GEAR MOTOR FAILURE.

Narrative

WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 11 AND TOLD TO TURN R HDG 230 DEGS AFTER DEP. AFTER ROTATION AND A POS RATE OF CLB WAS ESTABLISHED; THE GEAR WAS SELECTED UP. HOWEVER; THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE 2 MORE TIMES BUT THE GEAR STILL REMAINED DOWN. WE WERE STILL VMC AT THIS TIME AND WE ELECTED NOT TO ENTER THE CLOUDS WITH A KNOWN GEAR PROB. WE HAD GOOD VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. WE INITIATED A TURN TO THE L IN THE DIRECTION OF LOWER TERRAIN AND HIGHER BASES. THE TWR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN R AFTER DEP. WE INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WANTED TO CIRCLE L AND RETURN FOR LNDG. THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH CTL. WE CONTACTED APCH CTL AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO BED FOR LNDG VIA A VISUAL APCH. THE REQUEST FOR A VISUAL WAS DENIED SO WE ASKED FOR A CONTACT APCH WHICH WAS APPROVED. WE LANDED AND TAXIED TO MAINT. MAINT DETERMINED THAT THE LNDG GEAR MOTOR HAD FAILED. AFTER LNDG WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE TWR CHIEF AND QUIZZED ABOUT OUR ACTIONS. THE TWR CHIEF WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HAD TURNED L CONTRARY TO OUR CLRNC. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD EXPERIENCED A LNDG GEAR MALFUNCTION AND TURNED L TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. HE STATED AN OFFICIAL RPT WOULD BE FILED. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER ON THE RADIO BUT WE CERTAINLY CONSIDERED IT ONE. IN RETROSPECT; I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER. OUR FIRST CONCERN WAS TO FLY THE ACFT SAFELY AND DEAL WITH THE INFLT GEAR PROB. BOTH CREW MEMBERS FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE MADE THE R DECISION BY RETURNING TO THE ARPT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.