Chancellor 414A / C414
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 6167; Flight Crew Type 108
Human-Machine Interface; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Gear Up Landing
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
In order to be at an appointment; I chose to utilize a Cessna 414A. A [fellow pilot] was to come along to go through the log books belonging to the customer I was meeting. I arrived at the airport anticipating departure within the next hour. I preflighted the plane; I ordered 50 gallons of fuel to get us to our destination and back with plenty of reserve. [My fellow pilot] checked the weather on WSI and it was good VFR all the way. The start; taxi; and preflight checks were normal with no indications of any problems. We took off and climbed VFR toward [our destination]. [My fellow pilot] called ATC and obtained flight following.After leveling off at 10;500; a flicker of one of the annunciators caught my attention. The left hydraulic flow was weakly flickering on and off. After a few minutes; it started alternating with the right hydraulic flow light at which time I put the gear selector in the down position to avoid a possible problem. But nothing came down. [My fellow pilot] got out the flight manual and we went through the emergency gear down procedures; which we performed to no avail. We let Center know we were examining a problem with the gear. We slowed; turned; climbed; and yawed the plane as was suggested in the manual. We performed the emergency gear extension procedures many times. We only pulled reasonably hard on the emergency gear extension handle the first few tries; then harder on subsequent tries. It would move about 2.5 to 3 inches in and out; but no response.I had Center call my customer on the ground and tell him I was headed back [home] due to gear problems. I headed for [an airport] where I knew there were two runways so I would not completely close down an airport. I wanted to discuss the problem at whatever length necessary with the mechanic. It just happened to be a day when the lobby was full of aviation enthusiasts waiting for rides so I elected to head on to [another airport]. While heading that direction; I called additional mechanics to see if they had any advice. We called the Tower; [my fellow pilot] and I sharing reading; radio; and flying responsibilities as needed; and I did a low pass to which the Tower told me they did not see any gear hanging down. I flew southwest of the field to burn off fuel and continued further attempts at gear extension. I then came back to [the airport] and made several low passes to determine the best runway or if the grass was an option. On one low pass; the FAA on the ground visually checked to see if the gear was down. Then [a gentleman] with the FAA called me on my cell and he and I went through the emergency procedures several more times.We were fortunate to get a great deal of experience and temperate suggestions for our predicament on the phone and on the frequency over the next hour. We continued to try the emergency gear down procedures without any luck. We were in the air about two and one half fours when it seemed we had exhausted all alternatives to get the gear down and had burned off a prudent amount of fuel. I determined the landing would be made on Runway 18 and [my fellow pilot] declared my intentions to the Tower. We landed gear up and slid to a stop on the runway. After cutting the fuel off; we exited the plane surrounded by fire trucks and FAA personnel.
At cruise; VFR flight following; the hydraulic flow low lights started flickering. The pilot elected to extend the gear; which did not come down. I was coming along for a meeting and was a passenger although I was helping use the radio. We read the Emergency Gear Extension Checklist. The gear still did not come down after performing the task. The pilot flew the plane; called many [maintenance] inspectors for suggestions; and finally landed the plane gear up about two hours later.The FAA was immediately on sight. The plane was strapped and lifted. One of the FAA Inspectors tried the emergency handle without success. He finally hit it with the palm of his hand and pulled it out and the gear extended. The gear extension bottle was fully charged. A leak in the hydraulic system was later discovered.
C414 flight crew note flickering hydraulic flow lights in cruise and attempt to extend the landing gear unsuccessfully. The emergency extension bottle 'T' handle is then pulled; also without success. After several hours and many consultations a belly landing ensues. After the aircraft is lifted from the runway; an FAA Inspector is able to activate the emergency extension system on the second try using extra force.