Landing Gear Issue, Solved or not?

[@dougolson304]

Spare ldg gear switch sounds like a good idea. I had similar problem on an A36 but the switch definitely had a funky feel to it (iconic wet noodle feel). Cranked the gear down and took it to the shop. They were not able to duplicate but told em to replace the landing gear switch that was 20 years ago with no problems since. Hope that I just didn’t jinx it😮

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Fingers crossed!

[@jhaedtler]

I have worked on a Staggerwing for the last 30 years. the owner had problems getting the gear to come down also. we tried doing the hangar retracts and no problem and the we flew it and no problems. I'm thinking a very old switch. We never did find the problem! Thanks for the videos!

[@KerryDMcCauley]

I hate it when there isn't an obvious solution.

[@TheSlingwing]

It probably has the same system as the older ARMY C-12 200. I would probably replace the up and down limit switches or the motor controller. We jack the c-12’s every day and take for granted the danger. Unfortunately a little over a month ago we had an accident letting one down and the gear wasn’t locked down and it collapsed and killed a fella. This wasn’t at the site I work but the same company. So taking it off the jacks and going up is serious business. Hope you get your issue resolved.

[@SR-bh5jd]

It’s an aircraft and expected to operate without issues while in the presence of a mechanic.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Of course! I had to abort a flight over the mountains yesterday because of a fuel flow problem. Worked perfectly on the way home. You think I'll be able to recreate the problem for the mechanic? Probably not.

[@sman5877]

When i was learning to fly in laurel ms. about 1977 . An instructor and his student went with an old timer in his queen and it had a connecting rod break and caught the wing on fire in flight. queen air s had a reputation for that problem. i guess they fixed it. I knew the instructor and his student.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

They were probably flying a Queen Air with the old geared supercharged engines. The IO-720s are considered bulletproof.

[@ethanclement9647]

I don't like contact cleaner in general. There's a product called Deoxit D5, which I swear by. I would think that at some point a tired switch should be replaced.

[@leewolfgramscolonelchannel]

I feel for you buddy, I just had a gear failure on the Mooney and had to crank them down by hand. Just fly it! can i use your jacks? I can drive over if you have the Queen Air up.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Not my jacks. They are the shop's.

[@stacymchalffey9454]

flew and owned and maintained a queenair back in the early 90s, clean, lube and ohm out the up and down limit switchs and the gear handle switch it self. If either the down limit switch or up limit switch wire going to it is broken but making contact 90% of the time or the switch itself is sticking/failing then if the up limit switch closes but the down limit switch remains closed then the airplane thinks the gear is still down and wont let power to the gear motor because unless the up limit switch is closed and the down limit switch is open (circuit) or stuck closed then the gear will not go down,. hope that makes some sence. i have a 65 queenair i am restoring so i will break out the shop manuel and make sure my memory is still right concerning the gear circuit. I had the reverse problem on mine but it was the weight on wheels switch that stuck/failed and the plane thought it was still on the groundc so it would not allow power to the limit switchs to operate the gear to the up position. Stacy

[@ericsd55]

Been in that exact same spot Kerry. That long pause, kinda thinking, kinda hoping. We got to the point of, "Welp, don't move the gear level like that again." Was a charter B60, never had the problem again.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Never rush the gear!

[@wb6anp]

I worked at a shop in California, We had a King Air on jacks. We had a small earthquake, it was big enough to knock it off the wing jacks and drive them through the wings.

[@Mikey101160]

OUCH!

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Bummer

[@MachTuck]

I wish you "3 green" every single time you need them Kerry.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Thanks!

[@Milkmans_Son]

Probably a dumb question, but could you test the hell out the switches and relays but save the wear and tear by disconnecting the motors that drive the gear and wiring some kind of indicator light in their place (or a more current hungry load if that's what the system is expecting)? I can think of a lot of reasons why you couldn't or wouldn't want to do this on an airplane, so I guess I'm just curious whether the reason is practical like difficult to access wiring or if it's more of a general don't-make-small-problems-big-by-touching-things policy.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

That's an idea.

[@GavinD50C]

Thanks for sharing this! I have a Twin Bonanza so pretty much the same gear. Your gear switch is different than mine so I can't comment or share any thoughts on how that may or may not be the culprit as either one of those age related things or a nuance of those switches in particular. I did watch the Oshkosh clip when you first had the issue as well as for obvious reasons I'm very interested in how this plays out. The one big difference here in your gear swing on the ground and in the air is you're not vibrating or moving which means nothing else in that whole system is either. There can't be that much wiring to inspect for in intermittent short? I have a landing gear circuit breaker on the floor as well (new) which would be in play for this as well as a 3 amp breaker I also have for the relay. I'll be watching to see if you find the smoking gun on this one.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

I'll keep you posted.

[@GavinD50C]

@@KerryDMcCauley My plane is about to go into the annual inspection and while its on jacks i'll do the manual gear lowing procedure and see if the 150 pumps number in the Manual is accurate! And, get some kind of idea of how I accomplish that why flying at the same time.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

@@GavinD50C I always do that each annual.

[@bigdaddie40]

The price of gear motors these days, it's probably $10 evey time you cycle the gear.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Got that right.

[@larryanderson8049]

what about lazy circuit breakers or relays with worn contacts?

[@KerryDMcCauley]

The relays seemed fine, but I'm going to clean the contacts.

[@jhaedtler]

When was the last time the connection of the wires to the gear switch were removed and cleaned and reinstalled???

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Probably been a while. That's the next step.

[@jhaedtler]

@@KerryDMcCauley I was thinking it maybe a good Idea to check the gear motor brushes. We had a cracked flap motor with bad brushes that did the same thing.

[@Themheals]

Did you check the anti retraction swtich to make sure it isnt an issue or intermittent?

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Not yet.

[@stacymchalffey9454]

when it failed that one time did ya"ll start cheching where power should be. Like work backwards and check for power at the motor, if you have power at the motor then younknow pretty much where your problem is. you could have a bad spot on the armature and when the motor stops at that exact location nothing happens, as for why when you recyled the gear switch it work could be all the vibration worked in your favor and let the dead spot on the armature make contact and the gear came down. no power at the gear motor then just keep working backwards through the gear down circuit until you find power and whatever wire that is connected to is a good indication of you intermintant problem. It still might not be that part but it has to get power from somewhere to energize the part where you lost your voltage. I would also check all the gound points for the gear circuit while checking the power side of of it. the loss of a ground can be as frustrating as the troobleshooting the power side of the circuit. That one time it failed they should have left power on it and very carfully start elimantating each componant for the gear down circuit. I would pull the gear motor and check the brushes and clean and relube the splines on the gear motor, if thats ot been done in the last few years that grease will turn to a wax like condtion and you will wear those splines out prematurely, its pretty impressive that a little 1/2" fine tooth spline gear runs that whole gear assembly. I have the gear motor overhaul kit but would need to confirm the part number if you ever needed to have it rebuilt, bought 4-5 of the kits from a surplus sale of a lot of queenair stuff. If you ever have the need for one I have quite a few new in the box. Stacy

[@glennwatson]

Better to have fail hard sometimes then the intermittent failures.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Intermittent is the worst.

[@debonairdriver6556]

I’ve found loose wire on Bonanza gear switch caused an intermittent problem

[@KerryDMcCauley]

I'll be checking that as well.

[@lawrencemilling986]

Humidity.....move to Arizona

[@KerryDMcCauley]

I'd melt.

[@paratyshow]

👍✅👏

[@beartracks283]

Contact cleaner won’t lube anything

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Yeah, not using it.

[@Mikey101160]

@@KerryDMcCauley Or as we say downunder here in Oz - "Yeah no"

[@robertcasteel3072]

For God's sake man! Check the gear motor brushs! I've seen this more than a few times.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Not sure if that's it. When the gear wouldn't come down in the hangar we didn't hear anything at all from the gear motor or relays suggesting it might be the switch.

[@davidnee6157]

Micro Swtiches need adjusted??????????????????????? Flying this bird with a known issue, An accident waiting to happen!

[@BlackCoffee-m5c]

Please don't talk you have no idea what you are talking about

[@davidnee6157]

@@BlackCoffee-m5c REALLY? Retired 2 years ago, previous that, 28 years DOD (USAF) Engineer working/repairing/rebuilding aircraft systems @ one of the biggest aircraft Depot Bases in the USA. Although, I don't know THIS aircraft in and out, ALL AIRCRAFT WORK THE SAME. They all use the same mechanics and physics as all of them do. So please , stop being a bully, it shows your intelligence. ( ͡👁 ͜ʖ ͡👁)

[@BlackCoffee-m5c]

@@davidnee6157 Bragging about being a USAF mechanic is nothing to brag about you all have books that tell you exactly what to look at what to replace you have to do zero thinking I know this because Bl@cks can do your job sit down boy and brag to people about yourself at your local LGBT club

[@sahilhandique598]

Maybe you're the most successful one out of all the cast of dangerous flights.

[@KerryDMcCauley]

Maybe, but Cory, Pete and Marcio are all killing it!