The familiar slogan, "Don't leave home without it!" conveys an underlying encouragement to be prepared for the unexpected. This solid advice recently hit home during a practice flight that became anything but routine.
My plan was to practice landings in a Cessna 182 RG, a complex, high-performance aircraft, in preparation for the commercial pilot practical test. On climbout I raised the landing gear lever as usual but did not receive a gear-up light, which indicated that at least one of the wheels had not retracted properly. Following the checklist, I confirmed that the landing gear circuit breakers were pushed in and the light bulbs were functional. Next I attempted to put the gear back down, only to find that now there was no longer a gear-down light, although through my window I could see the left main gear, which appeared to be normal. Last but not least, I tried the manual gear extension procedure, which had no effect (the hydraulic system seemed to be working fine). Clearly it was a different kind of problem.
I felt an initial burst of adrenaline and a brief urge to get back on the ground ASAP, but the voice of reason (instilled by flight instructors past and present) quickly overcame the impulse to land. Flying the airplane skillfully would be the first priority while utilizing all available resources in the air and on the ground in order to solve the problem. The airplane was carrying five hours of fuel, with nearly as much daylight ahead, so there was no reason to rush and every reason to remain calm.
A call to unicom got the ball rolling, leading to an observation from another aircraft and confirmation from a ground spotter that the right main gear was dangling straight downward. The nosegear and left main were functioning properly. For some mechanical reason, the right gear strut had unlocked and dropped into the normal position for retraction, but would not lift into the wheel well. Neither would the mechanism engage to swing the gear forward into the locked position, where it would need to be for landing.
Nearly three hours of coordinated problem solving unfolded, the goal being to land safely with all three wheels down and locked. A belly landing, especially with one main gear dangling, was not high on my list of desired outcomes. On the ground, several pilots and mechanics worked together, in conjunction with phone input from the aircraft manufacturer, to assess the issue and relay potential solutions to me by radio. It was a real team effort.
Everyone agreed that using aerodynamics and G force to swing the gear strut forward was the best option to pursue. To that end I tried several maneuvers, including various stall configurations; steep turns; a Dutch roll; and rapid climbs and descents. All maneuvers were conducted within the design limits of the airplane and below maneuvering speed, but we were determined to capitalize on every bit of air and gravity we could muster to make that landing gear move.
Progress was measured by flying low approaches over the runway so ground observers could see how each maneuver affected the position of the gear strut. After numerous failed attempts, a pilot on the ground suggested that I climb back to altitude and then build up a yawing momentum by applying alternating left and right rudder (full deflection), while keeping the wings level. He believed the momentum would swing the gear strut far enough forward to lock it in place. As soon as he said the word momentum, I knew what he had in mind and...
Bingo! It worked. The "gear down" light came on, and I landed safely. We had a happy ending to a simple mechanical failure--a metal part in the gear mechanism had broken--but beyond the incident itself, there are lessons to be learned.
Failures don't always happen the way they're supposed to. For example, the type of gear malfunction I encountered is not described in the pilot's operating handbook. We need to be prepared to think beyond textbook solutions when solving problems. In the past I viewed emergency training as a necessary disturbance to the more enjoyable aspects of learning to fly. But now I understand the value of frequent, scenario-based emergency training covering a wide variety of abnormal procedures. Challenge your instructor to be creative in setting up situations for you to handle. In addition, become familiar with the systems of the airplanes you fly and how they interact.
It's crucial to become increasingly solid in the fundamentals of flight. When the unexpected happens, your workload will immediately increase as additional tasks demand your attention. Further, on an emotional level, you are likely to encounter a cloud of uncertainty concerning potential flight outcomes. Various scenarios flashed through my mind and distracted me from the business of flying the airplane. Would I be doing a gear-up landing on grass or asphalt? What if the airplane flipped over on touchdown? You get the idea.
When planning cross-country flights, we are taught to consider what items we should carry in the cockpit in case the flight cannot be completed as planned. However, I learned that even the simplest practice flight can turn into a lengthy ordeal, and by the end of my local flight I was wishing I had some cross-country survival gear along. Being overly cautious or fearful would take all the fun out of flying, which nobody wants. Yet, after about two hours I was getting pretty hungry and thirsty.
The lesson for this junior pilot is that serious in-flight situations do not happen only to seasoned veterans. They can happen to anyone regardless of experience level. There's no time like the present to plan for the unexpected, so that when reality strikes, there will be a firm foundation to stand on and a safe landing at the end of the day.
"Learning Experiences" is presented to enhance safety by providing a forum for students and pilots to learn from the experiences of others. It is intended to provoke thought and discussion, acknowledging that actions taken by the authors were not necessarily the best choices under the circumstances. We encourage you to discuss any questions you have about a particular scenario with your flight instructor.
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