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A hung landing gear is a potentially disastrous situation for a pilot flying a general aviation piston aircraft. During "shop talk" I've heard people say that the best thing to do is cycle the gear. During my multi-engine check ride I was told emphatically by my examiner that cycling a hung was the wrong thing to do.

What are some of the more common procedures suggested in POH/AFM documents for this situation? Can any deeper understanding be extracted from the common procedures?

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    $\begingroup$ You are asking for "opinions" which is not what this site is for. The better thing to ask is for what the aircraft manuals say. $\endgroup$
    – SMS von der Tann
    Feb 12, 2016 at 1:33
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you for your feedback. I was aware I was asking the question improperly but I am curious about the topic. I think I can rework the question so it fits the guidelines. $\endgroup$
    – ryan1618
    Feb 13, 2016 at 14:18
  • $\begingroup$ What kind of airplanes are you interested in? Light pistons, jets, etc.? The answer varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but even more so by certification requirements. I'd suggest narrowing the scope (possibly even to one airplane type or manufacturer, or about the certification requirements) in order to get the best answers. $\endgroup$
    – Lnafziger
    Feb 13, 2016 at 15:11
  • $\begingroup$ I'll narrow the question further. $\endgroup$
    – ryan1618
    Feb 13, 2016 at 15:52
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    $\begingroup$ Not this: youtu.be/qP1XQzwRuV8 $\endgroup$
    – Jörg W Mittag
    Feb 15, 2016 at 12:55

2 Answers 2

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As referenced in a comment, the generally accepted thing to do is to refer to the aircraft emergency checklist/AFM to see what it says to do.

This will vary by aircraft design, but usually involves testing the indicator lights, and then activating alternate means of extending the gear as needed.

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First of all, you must determine if the gear is broken or the lights are broken.

Once you've determined that the lights are in working order, then you can trouble shoot the gear itself using the checklist in the plane.

If you've gone through the checklist in the plane, and you still don't have indication that the gear is down and locked, then there are many techniques that go beyond what's in the POH that rely on knowing how the gear works.

In some aircraft, the gear falls naturally using gravity, and is held down by a mechanical latch. If the gear fails to latch, then it is possible to slip the aircraft in the direction of the wheel that is not down. This will put the sideways slipstream on the gear, and could help to push it into the locked position.

If the nosewheel unfolds in the forward direction, it may be that slowing the plane to MCA can allow the nose gear to come forward and lock.

These are just a couple of examples, but knowing exactly how the gear works in your airplane will help you at a crucial time.

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    $\begingroup$ maybe add that pulling gs has sometimes convinced a gear to fully extend. Depends on the design, though. $\endgroup$
    – Peter Kämpf
    Feb 13, 2016 at 21:00
  • $\begingroup$ I don't know what maneuver to perform in a normal category plane besides a slip to create any sidewards G forces $\endgroup$
    – rbp
    Feb 14, 2016 at 0:41
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    $\begingroup$ No, you increase the weight of the gear to overcome friction or whatever else prevents it from fully extending. Not only sideways, but normal gs can help in lowering the gear. $\endgroup$
    – Peter Kämpf
    Feb 14, 2016 at 10:21
  • $\begingroup$ I think the AFM in the PA-28R actually gives maneuvers including slips and pulling Gs for a manual gear extension. $\endgroup$
    – ryan1618
    Feb 15, 2016 at 14:56
  • $\begingroup$ the only time I had a gear issue was in an Arrow, detailed here: aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/11536/… $\endgroup$
    – rbp
    Feb 15, 2016 at 18:42

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