PVT PLT DEPARTED GYY FOR MSY AND EXPERIENCED ENRTE A GEAR PROB ENCOUNTERED A FEW WKS PRIOR. MSY MAINT FACILITY CONDUCTED REPAIRS BUT NOTED PROBS WITH AIRWORTHINESS; NOT OBSERVED BY OWNER. MAKING FUEL STOP AT CGI; ACFT R GEAR COLLAPSES. INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT REVEALS NOTE OF AIRWORTHINESS.

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THIS LETTER IS TO DETAIL THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE INCIDENT OF JUN/FRI/98. I WAS RETURNING TO GARY; IN; WHEN I EXPERIENCED A GEAR RELATED PROB. MY GEAR DOORS DID NOT CLOSE AFTER LOWERING THE GEAR. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT; AND INFORMED MY FBO. THEY WORKED ON THE PLANE; AND REPLACED BOTH GEAR DOOR ACTUATORS. I FLEW ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS AFTER THAT; WITH NO DIFFICULTY. ON JUN/FRI/98; I FLEW TO NEW ORLEANS. ON THAT TRIP; I MADE A STOP IN TUPELO; MS; FOR GAS. ON TKOF; I NOTED THE GEAR WOULD NOT GO UP; AND THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE PANEL HAD POPPED. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED IT IN AND THE GEAR DOORS CLOSED. UPON ARR AT NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT ARPT; I LOWERED THE GEAR; ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED AGAIN; AND WOULD NOT GO BACK IN. IT APPEARED THAT THE GEAR WERE NOT ALL THE WAY DOWN; AND THAT THE GEAR DOORS HAD NOT CLOSED. I THEN PUMPED THE MANUAL PUMP HANDLE; AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT; ALTHOUGH THE GEAR DOORS NEVER DID CLOSE. ON THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DAY (JUN/MON/98) I CONTACTED A MAINT FACILITY AT NEW ORLEANS. ON JUN/WED/98; HE INDICATED THE PROB APPEARED TO BE A 'SWITCH DOWN LOCK' AND ORDERED A REPLACEMENT. ON JUN/FRI/98; HE SAID THAT HE HAD INSTALLED THE SWITCH; BUT THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT HAD SOLVED THE PROB OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. HE SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THERE WAS A SHORT SOMEWHERE BTWN THE SWITCH AND THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT/STALL HORN WARNING. WHAT SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING WAS THAT THE GEAR DOWN MOTOR WOULD NOT QUIT RUNNING; AND IT WOULD POP THE SWITCH. HE SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THE GEAR WOULD GO UP; BUT THAT THE GEAR DOORS WOULD REMAIN OPEN. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF THE MOTOR NOT RUN FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP BACK TO GARY; AND THAT I SHOULD PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE CONSOLE; AFTER TKOF; SO THAT I COULD SHUT OFF THE MOTOR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPANY HAD SPENT 36 HRS ON THE PLANE. I GLANCED AT THE INVOICE AT THAT TIME TO ONLY CHK THE AMOUNTS MATCHED; SIGNED THE CHARGE SLIP. ON TKOF; I CLBED OUT AND TRIED TO GET THE GEAR UP. THEY WOULD NOT GO UP; NOR WOULD THE GEAR DOORS CLOSE. I DECIDED TO STOP FOR FUEL AT CAPE GIRARDEAU AND; BEFORE LNDG; LOOKED AT THE GEAR. THEY LOOKED FINE; BUT I DID SOME PUMPING OF THE MANUAL HANDLE; JUST TO BE SURE. ON TOUCHDOWN; EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE; FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL HUNDRED FT. THEN; I EXPERIENCED A 'WOBBLE' AND SOME LOSS OF CTL. I APPLIED BRAKES AS I COULD TO LEAVE THE RWY; AND ENDED UP GOING TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY; AND INTO THE GRASS. I COULD SEE THAT THE R MAIN GEAR HAD COLLAPSED INTO THE AIRPLANE. THE L MAIN WAS FINE; AS WAS THE NOSE GEAR. IN PERUSING THE INVOICE (FROM MAINT FACILITY); I FOUND TO MY DISMAY THAT TYPED ON THE INVOICE WERE THE WORDS 'ACFT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL MAINT PRIOR TO BEING AIRWORTHY.' I WAS STUNNED. NO ONE AT MAINT FACILITY HAD GIVEN ME ANY HINT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT WORTHY. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO READ THE FULL INVOICE. I ASSUMED THE INVOICE SIMPLY DESCRIBED THE WORK THE MECH DID.