What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot's statement: on may 4, 2008 I experienced a gear lockup in Grob 102, N132SS glider while setting up to enter a pattern for runway 23 at Byron Airport. I took off at approximately 1:00 pm local time and retracted the gear after releasing from the tow plane at approximately 2500 feet. I noticed nothing unusual. After flying for approximately an hour local to Byron Airport, I got AWOS weather reports from Byron. Winds at Byron were approximately 17 knots at 240 degrees. At 1500 feet in preparation for entering a 45 for left down wind for runway 23, I could not move the gear lowering handle forward. I could rotate it from the locked to unlocked position, but no amount of force would make it budge or lower the landing gear. I contacted glider ground and let them know of the emergency and asked for advice whether it was practical to land in the grass parallel to runway 23. I thermaled for an additional 20 minutes near the airport as FAR east and the western portion of the forebay at 1500 feet while the ground crew and airport facility manager privacy data omitted examined the surrounding fields for the best alternative since the fields adjacent to runway 23 appeared to be unacceptable for a gear up landing. While thermaling I tried positive and negative g's in an attempt to correct the malfunction with no success. Several pilots offered assistance. The opinion on the ground was the best alternative was a recently cut hay field adjacent to holey road. I flew a left pattern at approximately 1000 feet crossing Byron highway and the power lines at about 600 feet and 70 knots. Once over the field I slowed to 60-65 knots. I left the gear in the unlocked position causing the gear warning buzzer to not sound. I made a full spoiler approach landing with about a 10-20 degree left cross wind landing parallel to the rows of stacked hay (unbailed) in the field. Flare was minimal and rollout appeared to be less than 30 feet. Airport manager privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted were there to assist me. They drove me back to the airport where I got my pickup and towed the glider's trailer to the field. privacy data omitted Assisted me prepping the glider until additional help came. The glider was loaded into the trailer without incident. Pilot was uninjured and no readily apparent damage to the glider was observed, but this and the cause of the gear failure remains to be determined. Once the fuselage was in the cradle, the gear did lower properly.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON MAY 4, 2008 I EXPERIENCED A GEAR LOCKUP IN GROB 102, N132SS GLIDER WHILE SETTING UP TO ENTER A PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 23 AT BYRON AIRPORT. I TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00 PM LOCAL TIME AND RETRACTED THE GEAR AFTER RELEASING FROM THE TOW PLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 FEET. I NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. AFTER FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR LOCAL TO BYRON AIRPORT, I GOT AWOS WEATHER REPORTS FROM BYRON. WINDS AT BYRON WERE APPROXIMATELY 17 KNOTS AT 240 DEGREES. AT 1500 FEET IN PREPARATION FOR ENTERING A 45 FOR LEFT DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 23, I COULD NOT MOVE THE GEAR LOWERING HANDLE FORWARD. I COULD ROTATE IT FROM THE LOCKED TO UNLOCKED POSITION, BUT NO AMOUNT OF FORCE WOULD MAKE IT BUDGE OR LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. I CONTACTED GLIDER GROUND AND LET THEM KNOW OF THE EMERGENCY AND ASKED FOR ADVICE WHETHER IT WAS PRACTICAL TO LAND IN THE GRASS PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 23. I THERMALED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 20 MINUTES NEAR THE AIRPORT AS FAR EAST AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FOREBAY AT 1500 FEET WHILE THE GROUND CREW AND AIRPORT FACILITY MANAGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXAMINED THE SURROUNDING FIELDS FOR THE BEST ALTERNATIVE SINCE THE FIELDS ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 23 APPEARED TO BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR A GEAR UP LANDING. WHILE THERMALING I TRIED POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE G'S IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE MALFUNCTION WITH NO SUCCESS. SEVERAL PILOTS OFFERED ASSISTANCE. THE OPINION ON THE GROUND WAS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WAS A RECENTLY CUT HAY FIELD ADJACENT TO HOLEY ROAD. I FLEW A LEFT PATTERN AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET CROSSING BYRON HIGHWAY AND THE POWER LINES AT ABOUT 600 FEET AND 70 KNOTS. ONCE OVER THE FIELD I SLOWED TO 60-65 KNOTS. I LEFT THE GEAR IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION CAUSING THE GEAR WARNING BUZZER TO NOT SOUND. I MADE A FULL SPOILER APPROACH LANDING WITH ABOUT A 10-20 DEGREE LEFT CROSS WIND LANDING PARALLEL TO THE ROWS OF STACKED HAY (UNBAILED) IN THE FIELD. FLARE WAS MINIMAL AND ROLLOUT APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN 30 FEET. AIRPORT MANAGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WERE THERE TO ASSIST ME. THEY DROVE ME BACK TO THE AIRPORT WHERE I GOT MY PICKUP AND TOWED THE GLIDER'S TRAILER TO THE FIELD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASSISTED ME PREPPING THE GLIDER UNTIL ADDITIONAL HELP CAME. THE GLIDER WAS LOADED INTO THE TRAILER WITHOUT INCIDENT. PILOT WAS UNINJURED AND NO READILY APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER WAS OBSERVED, BUT THIS AND THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR FAILURE REMAINS TO BE DETERMINED. ONCE THE FUSELAGE WAS IN THE CRADLE, THE GEAR DID LOWER PROPERLY.
Other reports on N132SS · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.