PA-24 Comanche
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 18.3; Flight Crew Total 844; Flight Crew Type 343.7
Workload; Troubleshooting; Training / Qualification; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Gear Up Landing
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Maintenance Action; General Evacuated; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
I originated a flight at XA:00. There were 2 passengers plus myself onboard. Takeoff and en route flight were without incident. We cruised at 5;500 FT. Weather was VFR.I began a descent into the planned destination at approximately XB:45 local. Going through the checklist; I tried to lower landing gear. Watching the gear handle travel; I noticed it stopped moving about 1/2 way through the cycle. I was able to raise the gear and try to recycle. When the gear handle stopped for a second time at about the mid-point; the circuit breaker tripped. I recycled the circuit breaker and tried again to no avail. At this point I notified UNICOM and asked them to verify that my gear was not extended. I flew over the field at approximately 1;500 FT. They confirmed the gear was not down.I climbed to 3;500 FT and orbited the airfield. We began the manual gear-down checklist and asked UNICOM to notify local emergency services personnel. After disconnecting the motor to the landing gear; the manual extension arm still stuck at about half-way. We were able to manual[ly] raise the gear; but due to motor disconnect; the gear would fall to the half-way position. We tried to 'shake' the gear up and down as well as several steep turns to see if g-loading would allow the gear to fall; all to no avail.After approximately 15 minutes of orbiting the field; a local pilot approached us and visually verified the gear would not lower and that all three wheels were in the same position. We were able to re-engage the motor and tried again to lower. No avail. [I] disengaged the motor; still not able to fully lower the gear. After discussions with emergency services on the field; we decided that we would lock the gear in the up position and perform a gear-up landing on the closed the runway. This would minimize operations at the airport and was most favorable for winds as they were directly out of the north.As I slowly circled and descended; I relayed events to FBO to create a record. I performed 2 left-handed traffic patterns for the runway as I descended.I continued to radio my actions to the ground. I decided to land without flaps to minimize airframe damage and would turn the engine off to try to get prop in horizontal position to minimize damage to prop and engine. The following are time stamps and notes from my transmissions to FBO.AWOS Weather: XC:07 - Winds 360 at 8; visibility 10 miles; sky - clearXC:10: Entered left pattern for 36XC:11: Left base 36 for low approachXC:12: Final for 36 low approach; confirmed gear upXC:13: Crosswind 36XC:14: Downwind 36XC:15: Left base 36; fuel selector to offXC:15: Final 36; mixture off; 'turning off engine'; open door; electrical offWe landed approximately 1/2 way down 36 and skidded to a stop in approximately 450 FT. Passengers and then pilot exited the airplane. There was no fuel leaking. The prop did not stop windmilling and did strike the asphalt. Both tips bent.Fire Department approached and confirmed no spill or ignition sources. Although all switches were in off-position; we disconnected positive terminal of battery.Inspection of the aircraft revealed a portion of the exhaust manifold had broken off and was lodged in the nose-wheel portion of the cowl. It appears this is what prevented the travel of the gear.It is not known at this time what caused the metal failure. It appears there would be no way to lower landing gear in-flight due to the obstruction.
A PA-24 pilot was unable to lower the landing gear and landed gear up after much troubleshooting. An exhaust manifold component broke off and blocked the nose landing gear which prevented the gear handle from extending.