What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a VFR flight from Lake City Gateway Airport (lcq) to valdosta regional airport (vld), the single pilot attempted to lower the landing gear on final approach to vld. The landing gear transition light indicated that the landing gear did not fully extend. The main landing gear (MLG) was visible from the cockpit, and the pilot was able to visually confirm the MLG as down and locked. However, the pilot could not see the nose landing gear (NLG) to verify if it was in a safe condition. The pilot extended and retracted the landing gear handle multiple times in an attempt to lower the NLG and extinguish the landing gear transition light. Without being able to confirm the NLG as down and locked, the pilot decided return to lcq for a gear up landing. The pilot did not declare an emergency at either lcq or vld but did notify the lcq tower that he would attempt a gear up landing. A gear up landing was made on the grass median between runway 10/28 and taxiway alpha was successful.
Post incident inspection by the pilot and A&P mechanic revealed that the NLG door failed to open due to the tight tolerance between aft edge of left door and the edge of the engine cowling. The pilot stated that cycling the landing gear handle multiple times caused the left NLG door linkage to fail inflight during attempts to open the NLG doors.
Unable to determine why the tolerance between aft edge of left door and the edge of the engine cowling was to tight. No documented maintenance in that area was identified.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A VFR FLIGHT FROM LAKE CITY GATEWAY AIRPORT (LCQ) TO VALDOSTA REGIONAL AIRPORT (VLD), THE SINGLE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR ON FINAL APPROACH TO VLD. THE LANDING GEAR TRANSITION LIGHT INDICATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT FULLY EXTEND. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) WAS VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT, AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THE MLG AS DOWN AND LOCKED. HOWEVER, THE PILOT COULD NOT SEE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR (NLG) TO VERIFY IF IT WAS IN A SAFE CONDITION. THE PILOT EXTENDED AND RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE MULTIPLE TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOWER THE NLG AND EXTINGUISH THE LANDING GEAR TRANSITION LIGHT. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO CONFIRM THE NLG AS DOWN AND LOCKED, THE PILOT DECIDED RETURN TO LCQ FOR A GEAR UP LANDING. THE PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AT EITHER LCQ OR VLD BUT DID NOTIFY THE LCQ TOWER THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT A GEAR UP LANDING. A GEAR UP LANDING WAS MADE ON THE GRASS MEDIAN BETWEEN RUNWAY 10/28 AND TAXIWAY ALPHA WAS SUCCESSFUL.
POST INCIDENT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT AND A&P MECHANIC REVEALED THAT THE NLG DOOR FAILED TO OPEN DUE TO THE TIGHT TOLERANCE BETWEEN AFT EDGE OF LEFT DOOR AND THE EDGE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE PILOT STATED THAT CYCLING THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE MULTIPLE TIMES CAUSED THE LEFT NLG DOOR LINKAGE TO FAIL INFLIGHT DURING ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE NLG DOORS.
UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE TOLERANCE BETWEEN AFT EDGE OF LEFT DOOR AND THE EDGE OF THE ENGINE COWLING WAS TO TIGHT. NO DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE IN THAT AREA WAS IDENTIFIED.