What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that when he retracted the gear, there was a loud "pop" in the cockpit comning from under the rear passenger area, and the gear handle did not return to the normal center detent. Pilot looked at the hydraulic reservoir sight gauge, suspecting a blown hydraulic hose. Pilot stated a bubble of air was already in the top of the sight gauge. The pilot continued to climb out to the east while trying to cycle the gear back to the down position. He placed the gear handle in the down position, but nothing happened. Again, he cycled the gear in each direction several times without gear door or leg movement. He decided to use the emergency gear extension handle. With the gear handle down, he was able to pump the gear doors open. The nose and main gear fell out of the doors. However, only the nose gear fell into a normal position due to airflow. The mains dangled in the airstream, and the hand pump now lacked the fluid to push the legs into the locking position. Pilot stated he pulled out the checklist in the POH and followed the emergency procedures for an unsafe gear indication. He tried various slowflight maneuvers to try to get the gear to lower without success. He was confident the nose gear was in position and the mains were hanging behind their locked position, and all gear doors were hanging open. Pilot had no green or red gear lights in the cockpit and no way to know if the nose gear was locked in position. Pilot decided to burn off fuel before landing. Upon touch down, the nose gear held in place while the aircraft settled upon the main gear legs.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE RETRACTED THE GEAR, THERE WAS A LOUD "POP" IN THE COCKPIT COMNING FROM UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER AREA, AND THE GEAR HANDLE DID NOT RETURN TO THE NORMAL CENTER DETENT. PILOT LOOKED AT THE HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR SIGHT GAUGE, SUSPECTING A BLOWN HYDRAULIC HOSE. PILOT STATED A BUBBLE OF AIR WAS ALREADY IN THE TOP OF THE SIGHT GAUGE. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO CLIMB OUT TO THE EAST WHILE TRYING TO CYCLE THE GEAR BACK TO THE DOWN POSITION. HE PLACED THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. AGAIN, HE CYCLED THE GEAR IN EACH DIRECTION SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT GEAR DOOR OR LEG MOVEMENT. HE DECIDED TO USE THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE. WITH THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN, HE WAS ABLE TO PUMP THE GEAR DOORS OPEN. THE NOSE AND MAIN GEAR FELL OUT OF THE DOORS. HOWEVER, ONLY THE NOSE GEAR FELL INTO A NORMAL POSITION DUE TO AIRFLOW. THE MAINS DANGLED IN THE AIRSTREAM, AND THE HAND PUMP NOW LACKED THE FLUID TO PUSH THE LEGS INTO THE LOCKING POSITION. PILOT STATED HE PULLED OUT THE CHECKLIST IN THE POH AND FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. HE TRIED VARIOUS SLOWFLIGHT MANEUVERS TO TRY TO GET THE GEAR TO LOWER WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE WAS CONFIDENT THE NOSE GEAR WAS IN POSITION AND THE MAINS WERE HANGING BEHIND THEIR LOCKED POSITION, AND ALL GEAR DOORS WERE HANGING OPEN. PILOT HAD NO GREEN OR RED GEAR LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT AND NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE NOSE GEAR WAS LOCKED IN POSITION. PILOT DECIDED TO BURN OFF FUEL BEFORE LANDING. UPON TOUCH DOWN, THE NOSE GEAR HELD IN PLACE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED UPON THE MAIN GEAR LEGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.