SMA HAS GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ACTIVATE AFTER EXPERIENCING TURB. SLOWS TO EXTEND GEAR AND THEN RETRACT TO TROUBLESHOOT; LIGHT EXTINGUISHES. ALTDEV OCCURS.

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I WAS ON A PLEASURE FLT FROM ASHLAND; OH; TO CINCINNATI LUNKIN. I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 45 MINS IN IMC WHEN I ASKED DAYTON IF I COULD RETURN TO ASHLAND COUNTY AS I DID NOT WANT TO GET STUCK IN CINCINNATI FOR THE WKEND. I WAS CLRED TO ASHLAND COUNTY DIRECT AND AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I WAS HANDED OFF TO COLUMBUS APCH. SHORTLY AFTER RPTING IN TO COLUMBUS APCH I ENCOUNTERED SOME TURB (LIGHT) AND MY UNSAFE GEAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AS I JUST GOT MY AIRPLANE OUT OF MAINT FOR A GEAR PROB I BECAME SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIGHT COMING ON. I SHOULD ADD AT THE TIME I WAS FLYING AT 9000 FT. I DECIDED TO SLOW THE PLANE TO 129 KTS TO LOWER THE GEAR THEN SLOW TO 106 KTS TO RETRACT THE GEAR TO SEE IF THE UNSAFE LIGHT WENT OFF. IT DID; HOWEVER; AT THIS TIME COLUMBUS APCH CALLED AND ASKED ME TO CHK MY XPONDER -- I WAS INDICATING 8600 FT. I ADVISED THEM I WAS HAVING A GEAR PROB AND WAS STARTING BACK TO 9000 FT. THEY ASKED (COLUMBUS APCH) WOULD I LIKE THEM TO NOTIFY MY DEST OF MY PROB AND I ADVISED THEM I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. WHEN I GOT CLOSE TO ASHLAND COUNTY I TRIED CALLING THE ARPT FOR ASSISTANCE. UPON NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE ANYONE; I ELECTED TO GO TO MANSFIELD AND DO A LOW APCH BY THEIR TWR AND HAVE THEM LOOK THE PLANE OVER. I DID THIS AND THEY ADVISED EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL. I PROCEEDED TO ASHLAND COUNTY WHERE I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I ASKED THE MECH TO LOOK THE AIRPLANE OVER AND DESCRIBED THE PROB I HAD. THEY DID THIS AND ADVISED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG THAT THEY COULD SEE. POSSIBLY THE GEAR SWITCH IS TOO SENSITIVE AND ANY LITTLE JERK WILL LET THE GEAR COME OFF ENOUGH TO TURN ON THE LIGHT. I REALIZE I WAS WRONG TO DROP BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. I BECAME FIXATED WITH THE GEAR AND DID NOT CONTINUE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. I HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR TO DO SOME INST WORK AND I WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT NOT TO DO THIS AGAIN.