What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed St Louis Downtown Airport (kcps) for local flight to warm up aircraft engine prior to beginning annual inspection. Upon returning to land, found that the landing gear would not extend fully and the gear pump continued to run. Pilot looked in the mirror and observed the landing gear hanging in the slip stream. Pilot advised tower, departed the pattern, climbed to a safe altitude, and contacted approach control for assistance with traffic separation. Pilot completed emergency checklist without successful extension of the gear. Pilot contacted the maintenance facility and trouble shot with the assistance of the mechanics. Mechanics called Cessna technical representative for assistance. Multiple attempts were made with the normal electric gear pump and the emergency hand pump to extend the gear. None were successful. After approximately 4 hours aloft and with approximately 90 minutes of fuel remaining, the pilot elected for a gear up landing. The pilot declared an emergency and advised kcps tower of the situation. Tower cleared the pilot to land on any runway except 12R. Pilot landed on 12L and slid to a stop on the belly of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED ST LOUIS DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (KCPS) FOR LOCAL FLIGHT TO WARM UP AIRCRAFT ENGINE PRIOR TO BEGINNING ANNUAL INSPECTION. UPON RETURNING TO LAND, FOUND THAT THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND FULLY AND THE GEAR PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN. PILOT LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND OBSERVED THE LANDING GEAR HANGING IN THE SLIP STREAM. PILOT ADVISED TOWER, DEPARTED THE PATTERN, CLIMBED TO A SAFE ALTITUDE, AND CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL FOR ASSISTANCE WITH TRAFFIC SEPARATION. PILOT COMPLETED EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL EXTENSION OF THE GEAR. PILOT CONTACTED THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND TROUBLE SHOT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MECHANICS. MECHANICS CALLED CESSNA TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR ASSISTANCE. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE WITH THE NORMAL ELECTRIC GEAR PUMP AND THE EMERGENCY HAND PUMP TO EXTEND THE GEAR. NONE WERE SUCCESSFUL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS ALOFT AND WITH APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING, THE PILOT ELECTED FOR A GEAR UP LANDING. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ADVISED KCPS TOWER OF THE SITUATION. TOWER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY EXCEPT 12R. PILOT LANDED ON 12L AND SLID TO A STOP ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.