Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; General Declared Emergency
Procedure
Aircraft X on a visual approach to RWY 35 went around due to a landing gear issue.  Aircraft asked to go hold somewhere while he sorted out his landing gear issue.  I told Aircraft to make left traffic and maintain VFR.  Weather conditions were such that I could easily provide visual separation between Aircraft X and any other arriving or departing traffic.  I had Aircraft make a right 360 on the downwind to separate him from an arriving aircraft.  The other arrival landed.  Aircraft called ready to come back and land after he got 3 green lights on his landing gear; but advised he wanted the emergency vehicles standing by.  I had already called an Alert II and had the rescue trucks on the field at this point.  Aircraft landed safely.  In hindsight; I think I made a mistake by putting Aircraft in my local pattern and telling him to maintain VFR.  If I had been thinking clearly; I would have remembered that an IFR flight plan cannot be arbitrarily canceled by a controller.  I know that the IFR flight plan can only be cancelled by the pilot in the air or at uncontrolled fields on the ground.  At controlled fields I know that an IFR flight plan is considered cancelled when the aircraft lands.  This was an unexpected go around; not an IFR inbound requesting pattern work or a VFR aircraft with gear issues.  Maybe I made the right choice by keeping Aircraft close to the tower so I could see his gear; but I think I was wrong to tell Aircraft to maintain VFR.   I am requesting a reference for me to study and retrain myself on so I can be exactly sure when an IFR flight plan can be cancelled in the future.  I have seen landing gear emergencies numerous times in my career but I have never seen any specific Computer Based Instruction (CBI)s or training videos on this specific type of emergency.  I think a CBI or video that covers this issue would be helpful.
An AZO Tower Controller tells an aircraft to maintain VFR on the go-around due to a gear problem. The Controller is confused after the aircraft lands in that he told the aircraft to maintain VFR and cancelled his IFR clearance.