What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Message text: Aiken, SC (aik): MU2, experienced a landing gear malfunction and landed gear up on runway
25. POB: 1, injuries: none, damage: extent unknown.
12/09/2024 1855Z
Pilot statement:
I was contracted by carolina turbine support to accomplish a post maintenance flight in aircraft privacy data omitted. After accomplishing all preflight checks, with no abnormalities identified, I departed runway 25. On the departure climb, I brought the gear handle to the up position and the gear retracted normally but the red "gear unsafe" light remained illuminated. I continued my climb to a safe altitude of 3000 feet on a northerly heading. Once level at 3000 feet and with applicable checklist complete, I attempted to cycle the landing gear to the down position by normal means (the gear handle). I could briefly (maybe 2 seconds) hear the electric landing gear motor run, at which point, the landing gear motor circuit breaker popped. Realizing, I had a more serious issue, I turned the aircraft back towards the aileen airport. Enroute to aileen, I put the gear handle in the up position and reset the landing gear motor circuit breaker. Once the circuit breaker was reset, I again could hear the electric gear motor run briefly. This returned the aircraft to its' original configuration with the landing gear in the up position and the "gear unsafe" light illuminated. I once again put the gear handle in the down position with the same results as stated above. It was clear that an emergency gear extension was going to be needed, at which point, I referenced the emergency gear extension checklist per the checklist, I ensured the landing gear handle was in the down position, pulled the remaining landing gear circuit breakers and broke the safety wire which holds the emergency gear extension handle in the stowed position. I was able to raise the emergency extension handle approximately 3 inches before the handle would no longer move. I pulled the emergency extension handle up with maximum effort, but to no avail. The landing gear was stuck in the up position. Now, circling overhead the Aiken airport, I contacted the director of maintenance at carolina turbine support and explained the situation. I preformed several low-level approaches in order for the maintenance personal to get a look at the landing gear and gear doors. We spoke though the issue and concluded that the aircraft would have to be landed gear up. In interest of safety and to mitigate the risk of the planned gear up landing, I requested that the emergency responders be dispatched and standing by. I completed all applicable checklist and preformed one final low-level approach in order to gauge aircraft speed, alignment and wind direction. I informed the ground personnel that the next approach would be to a "full stop." I established the aircraft on a 5 mile final, slowed the aircraft to final approach speed with the flaps in the 40 degree position. After a smooth touchdown, on the centerline of runway 25, the aircraft slid approximately 1,000 feet before coming to a complete stop. There was no smoke or fire, and the aircraft sustained light damage.
As the FAA filed it
MESSAGE TEXT: AIKEN, SC (AIK): MU2, EXPERIENCED A LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION AND LANDED GEAR UP ON RUNWAY
25. POB: 1, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN.
12/09/2024 1855Z
PILOT STATEMENT:
I WAS CONTRACTED BY CAROLINA TURBINE SUPPORT TO ACCOMPLISH A POST MAINTENANCE FLIGHT IN AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING ALL PREFLIGHT CHECKS, WITH NO ABNORMALITIES IDENTIFIED, I DEPARTED RUNWAY 25. ON THE DEPARTURE CLIMB, I BROUGHT THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POSITION AND THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY BUT THE RED "GEAR UNSAFE" LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I CONTINUED MY CLIMB TO A SAFE ALTITUDE OF 3000 FEET ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. ONCE LEVEL AT 3000 FEET AND WITH APPLICABLE CHECKLIST COMPLETE, I ATTEMPTED TO CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR TO THE DOWN POSITION BY NORMAL MEANS (THE GEAR HANDLE). I COULD BRIEFLY (MAYBE 2 SECONDS) HEAR THE ELECTRIC LANDING GEAR MOTOR RUN, AT WHICH POINT, THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. REALIZING, I HAD A MORE SERIOUS ISSUE, I TURNED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARDS THE AILEEN AIRPORT. ENROUTE TO AILEEN, I PUT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE UP POSITION AND RESET THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. ONCE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS RESET, I AGAIN COULD HEAR THE ELECTRIC GEAR MOTOR RUN BRIEFLY. THIS RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS' ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION AND THE "GEAR UNSAFE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I ONCE AGAIN PUT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION WITH THE SAME RESULTS AS STATED ABOVE. IT WAS CLEAR THAT AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED, AT WHICH POINT, I REFERENCED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST PER THE CHECKLIST, I ENSURED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION, PULLED THE REMAINING LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND BROKE THE SAFETY WIRE WHICH HOLDS THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE IN THE STOWED POSITION. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES BEFORE THE HANDLE WOULD NO LONGER MOVE. I PULLED THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE UP WITH MAXIMUM EFFORT, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE LANDING GEAR WAS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION. NOW, CIRCLING OVERHEAD THE AIKEN AIRPORT, I CONTACTED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE AT CAROLINA TURBINE SUPPORT AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. I PREFORMED SEVERAL LOW-LEVEL APPROACHES IN ORDER FOR THE MAINTENANCE PERSONAL TO GET A LOOK AT THE LANDING GEAR AND GEAR DOORS. WE SPOKE THOUGH THE ISSUE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE TO BE LANDED GEAR UP. IN INTEREST OF SAFETY AND TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF THE PLANNED GEAR UP LANDING, I REQUESTED THAT THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS BE DISPATCHED AND STANDING BY. I COMPLETED ALL APPLICABLE CHECKLIST AND PREFORMED ONE FINAL LOW-LEVEL APPROACH IN ORDER TO GAUGE AIRCRAFT SPEED, ALIGNMENT AND WIND DIRECTION. I INFORMED THE GROUND PERSONNEL THAT THE NEXT APPROACH WOULD BE TO A "FULL STOP." I ESTABLISHED THE AIRCRAFT ON A 5 MILE FINAL, SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO FINAL APPROACH SPEED WITH THE FLAPS IN THE 40 DEGREE POSITION. AFTER A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN, ON THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 25, THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FIRE, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED LIGHT DAMAGE.