20020610013279A

(.19) On June 10, 2002, about 2052 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182RG, N4652T, was substantially damaged when it landed with the landing gear partially extended at the Worcester regional airport (orh), Worcester, Massachusetts. The certificated airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed the asheville regional airport (avl), asheville, north carolina, destined for Worcester. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he and a passenger departed Worcester about 0800, and flew to asheville. The flight was uneventful, and the landing gear performed as expected. After being on the ground for several hours, the pilot and passenger reboarded the airplane, and departed for Worcester about 1700. Once airborne, the pilot proceeded towards his planned destination, and climbed to 7,000 feet MSL. The flight progressed without incident until the airplane was near hartford, Connecticut. At that point, the pilot heard the landing gear motor activate. The pilot added that the landing gear was held up by hydraulic pressure, and that the motor would occasionally activate for a few seconds, but this time, the motor continued to run and sounded like it was not under load. The pilot pulled the landing gear motor circuit breaker. The motor stopped. The pilot reset the circuit breaker, and the motor reactivated. The pilot let the motor run for a couple of seconds, and then pulled the circuit breaker again. The pilot then reset the circuit breaker for a second time, and performed the emergency gear extension procedure as stated in the pilot's operating handbook. While executing the procedure, the pilot felt the landing gear "fall," but he never observed a safe gear indication, nor did he see the main landing gear come forward and lock. Arriving at Worcester, the pilot performed a low pass down runway 33. The tower controller advised the pilot that the landing gear was down, but did not appear to be locked. The pilot then executed a left traffic pattern for runway 33. With airport fire and rescue crews in position, the pilot turned final. About 1/2 mile from the runway, the pilot selected full flaps, and the unsafe gear horn sounded. While over the runway, the pilot secured the engine, and initiated a flare. The airplane touched down close to stall speed. On the ground, the pilot could feel that the nose wheel was locked down, and that the partially extended main landing gear was dragging along side the aft portion of the fuselage. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, and came to rest right wing low between runways 33 and 29. The pilot released the passenger's seatbelt, and the passenger "rolled" out of the airplane and onto the ground under the right wing. The pilot finished securing the airplane, and then exited out the same door. According to a federal aviation administration inspector that examined the airplane after the accident, hydraulic fluid was identified in the wheel well for the nose gear, and along the bottom side of the fuselage. In addition, the horizontal stabilizer displayed substantial damage. (-23) the aircraft landed with the landing gear partially extended. The pilot stated that as he was flying over hartford, CT enroute to Worcester, MA when he heard the landing gear motor activate. The landing gear is held retracted by hydraulic pressure and it is normal for the motor to activate for a few seconds during flight. However, the pilot stated that the motor was running continuous. The pilot reset the circuit breaker several times but the motor ran continuous. On the approach to Worcester when the pilot selected the gear extended, the gear failed to extend fully. The pilot went through the emergency gear extension procedure but was unable to fully extend it. During the emergency landing the aicraft received substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. During a visual inspection of the aircraft (after the landing) hydraulic fluid was observed in the nose gear area and along the bottom side of the fuselage.