A TRAINING FLT IN A PA23-180 WAS SETTING UP FOR A SINGLE ENG LNDG AND WERE UNABLE TO LOWER THE GEAR IN TIME TO PREVENT AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative

I WAS ON A MULTI ENG TRAINING FLT WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. THE LAST MANEUVER WE PERFORMED WAS A FULL FEATHER OF THE ENG. WE COULD NOT GET THE PROP TO COME OUT OF FEATHER. WE DECIDED TO LAND AT NAVASOTA ARPT. OUR L ENG WAS OUT; SO WE SET UP FOR A R BASE TO RWY 35. THE POH STATES THAT IF THE L ENG IS OUT THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO HAND PUMP THE GEAR DOWN; AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE 30-40 STROKES TO GET THEM DOWN. WHEN WE WERE IN A CLOSE-IN R BASE AND HAD THE RWY MADE; WE LOWERED THE GEAR HANDLE AND GOT READY TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THE PLANE YAWED HARD TO THE L. I GAVE IT R RUDDER AND NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPD HAD BLED OFF. THEN I LOWERED THE NOSE AND NOTICED THAT THE GEAR HAD FALLEN ABOUT 3/4 THE WAY OUT EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT PUMP IT ANY. WE THOUGHT ABOUT TURNING AROUND BUT WE WERE TOO LOW TO MAKE A TURN FOR THE RWY WHICH WAS BEHIND US NOW. WE THEN THOUGHT ABOUT PUMPING UP THE GEAR AND TRYING TO CLB BACK UP BUT WE WERE COMING DOWN TOO FAST. WE THEN PUMPED THE GEAR THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN AND LANDED IN A FIELD AHEAD OF US. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE PLANE OR TO THE PROPERTY. THERE WERE NOT ANY INJURIES.