PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 46; Flight Crew Total 130; Flight Crew Type 130
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Diverted; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
While in cruise from ZZZ to ZZZ1 with my instructor on my instrument training long cross country; our plane began automatically lowering and raising the landing gear with the gear lever in the up position. When the gear would lowered automatically they would not lock into position and show three green lights indicating they were down and locked in place; rather they would just begin retracting after some time. After they continued to do this for several cycles of up and down we informed ZZZ Approach of the issue and said we needed to divert to ZZZ2. Approach informed us they were [giving us priority] and we asked if we could complete a low approach to over Runway XX to see if ZZZ2 tower could verify our gear was down when we moved the lever into the down position and if everything looked down then complete a landing on the second approach. On an extended final for our low approach we lowered the gear with the gear lever and they stayed down and indicated three green; the Tower verified they were all down. We completed a successful landing to a full stop on the 2nd approach and were able to taxi and exit the runway safely.
After departing ZZZ to ZZZ1 on an IFR flight plan (a training flight with me as CFI) and climbing to our assigned altitude at 4;000 feet; the 'Gear In Transit' light illuminated and the gear extended without pilot operation. Upon checking aircraft systems (circuit breakers; warning lights; etc.) we advised ATC of the gear malfunction and advised we would be diverting to ZZZ2. [ATC was advised]. The gear a few minutes after extension then retracted on its own without pilot intervention. I placed the gear in the down position and got three 'Gear Down' annunciations. I did a low approach and ZZZ2 tower confirmed the gear 'appeared to be down.' With this and normal gear down annunciations we landed without incident to anyone on board or to the aircraft; and had maintenance investigate; to which they found a malfunctioning landing gear electric power pack.
Flight Instructor and student reported that during cruise the landing gear began cycling from extend to retract with the control handle in the retract position. They diverted and performed a precautionary landing.