Gear Down and Locked — Or Is It?
A landing-gear extension malfunction on approach to Clearwater Air Park — dense development surrounds the field, and the decision window is closing
The scenario
Departing Clearwater Air Park (KCLW), Clearwater, FL — Runway 16, a 4,108-foot asphalt runway with a true heading of 155°. Field elevation 71 ft MSL. You are on approach from the north after a 1.2-hour flight from a nearby practice area. The weather is VFR: clear skies, light winds from 160° at 5 knots, visibility 10+ SM. A routine afternoon approach.
You are at 1,500 ft MSL (roughly 1,430 ft AGL), 4 nm north of the field, on a left downwind for Runway 16. You have already requested landing clearance on CTAF (KCLW is non-towered, Class G airspace). You are within the overlying Tampa Class B airspace (3,000–10,000 MSL), but your altitude is below the floor, so no Class B restriction applies. The field is in sight.
You begin the descent and call for gear down. You move the landing gear selector to DOWN. The green gear-down lights illuminate on the panel — all three: nose, left main, right main. The gear-down horn does not sound (correct — the horn sounds only if gear is not down when flaps are extended). You are at 1,200 ft AGL, 2.5 nm from the field, and the gear appears to be down and locked.
But as you level off on base and begin to extend flaps, you notice the right main gear light is flickering — not steady green, but intermittent. The nose and left main lights remain solid green. You are at 1,000 ft AGL, 1.5 nm from the field. The flickering could be a loose bulb, a bad contact, or an actual gear problem. You have seconds to decide.
Aircraft: Piper PA-28R (Arrow), solo, 2,600 lb gross weight, within limits. The airplane was last serviced 15 hours ago; no gear issues were noted. You are a commercial pilot with 800 hours total, 200 hours in type. You are current and proficient. The field is familiar — you have landed here a dozen times.
The off-field environment around KCLW is dense development — low-density residential, medium development, and some commercial areas. There is no open field, no water, no alternate landing surface nearby. A forced landing off-field would be into houses, trees, or pavement. The runway is your only option.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KCLW · Clearwater Air Park'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '16/34'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '71 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Approach'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about landing-gear emergencies in the Piper Arrow? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023): A Piper PA-28RT-201 experienced partial retraction of the right main and nose landing gear during landing rollout at an unspecified airport. The right wing scraped the runway. The aircraft exited the runway. The cause of the partial gear retraction could not be determined despite extensive testing. The probable cause was listed as undetermined.
NTSB WPR22LA040 (2021): A Piper PA-28R-200 on a personal flight had a right main landing gear that would not extend during approach. The pilot landed on the left main and nose landing gear only — an asymmetrical landing. The aircraft landed safely. Post-accident investigation revealed the right main landing gear door rod-end bolt was improper, preventing the gear from extending. The pilot's decision to land asymmetrically, rather than attempt a wheels-up landing or force a landing on all three gear, was the correct airmanship.
NTSB ERA15LA289 (2015): A Piper PA-28R-180 on an instructional flight at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) experienced an unsafe nose landing gear indication during approach. The crew performed emergency extension procedures. The nose gear extended but was not properly aligned due to undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly. During landing rollout, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft lost directional control and exited the runway. The probable cause was undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly, which prevented proper alignment after extension.
NTSB CEN11LA418 (2011): A Piper PA-28R-201 on a personal flight experienced a landing gear power pack motor failure. The landing gear would not extend. The pilot did not use the emergency landing gear extension system and instead made a wheels-up landing. The aircraft slid on its belly. Damage was significant but no injury occurred. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to use the emergency landing gear extension system, with a contributing factor being the inoperative landing gear power pack motor.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Clearwater Air Park (KCLW). KCLW has its own accident history (dominant pattern: forced landing 22.2%, loss of control 18.5%, gear-up landing 18.5%, hard landing 11.1%, fuel starvation 11.1%), but these specific NTSB cases happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KCLW to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here: dense development surrounds the field, and a forced landing off-field would be into houses, trees, or pavement — not open ground.
The consistent thread across all these events: landing gear malfunctions in the Piper Arrow are often electrical (corroded contacts, loose bulbs) or mechanical (improper bolts, fatigue cracks, power pack failure). A flickering gear light is not a minor annoyance — it is a warning that the gear may not be down and locked. The correct response is to go around, troubleshoot, and either confirm all three gear are down and locked (via emergency extension if necessary) or plan an asymmetrical landing. A wheels-up landing is survivable; a gear collapse during landing rollout is not.
Key lesson — A flickering landing gear light on approach to KCLW is a warning, not a minor electrical glitch. The off-field environment is dense development — there is no alternate landing surface. Your options are: (1) go around and use emergency extension to mechanically confirm the gear, (2) land asymmetrically on two gear if the light remains uncertain, or (3) land normally only if all three lights are solid green. Do not assume a flickering light will resolve itself. The Piper Arrow's landing gear system is complex — electrical contacts corrode, bolts loosen, struts fatigue. Treat an uncertain gear indication as a genuine emergency and troubleshoot before landing.
Debrief — teaching points
A flickering landing gear light is not a minor electrical issue — it is a warning of a potential gear malfunction.
The three green lights (nose, left main, right main) on the Piper Arrow panel indicate gear down and locked. A flickering light suggests an electrical contact issue (corroded contacts, loose bulb) or an actual gear malfunction (improper bolt, fatigue crack, power pack failure). NTSB WPR22LA040 involved an improper right main gear door rod-end bolt that prevented extension. NTSB ERA15LA289 involved fatigue cracks in the nose gear strut mount that prevented proper alignment. A flickering light is a red flag. Do not assume it will resolve itself or that the gear is down despite the light.
When a gear indication is uncertain on approach, the correct response is to go around and troubleshoot.
At 1,000 ft AGL on approach to KCLW, a flickering right main gear light should trigger an immediate go-around. You have time and altitude to troubleshoot. The options are: (1) cycle the gear (retract and extend) to reset the electrical contact, (2) attempt manual emergency extension to mechanically confirm the gear is down, or (3) plan an asymmetrical landing if the light remains uncertain. Do not land with an uncertain gear indication. The cost of a go-around is a few minutes of fuel and time; the cost of landing with a compromised gear is a gear collapse and a runway excursion.
The Piper Arrow has a manual emergency gear extension system — use it if the electrical system is unreliable.
The PA-28R has a crank or pump (depending on the model) for manual emergency gear extension. If the power system fails or the electrical indication is unreliable, the emergency system can mechanically lower all three gear. This is not a last resort — it is a legitimate troubleshooting tool on approach. NTSB CEN11LA418 involved a pilot who did not use the emergency extension system and instead made a wheels-up landing. The emergency system is there to be used. Know where it is and how to operate it.
An asymmetrical landing (two gear down, one up) is a valid emergency procedure in the Piper Arrow.
If the right main gear will not extend or the indication is unreliable, landing on the left main and nose gear only is a safe, controlled alternative. Keep the right wing high throughout the approach and landing using forward slip if necessary. The landing will be asymmetrical but stable. Once on the ground, you can lower the right main gear on the taxiway or in the parking area. NTSB WPR22LA040 involved a successful asymmetrical landing. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is a valid emergency procedure. Practice it in the simulator.
At KCLW, the off-field environment is dense development — the runway is your only option.
Clearwater Air Park is surrounded by low-density residential, medium development, and commercial areas. There is no open field, no water, no alternate landing surface nearby. A forced landing off-field would be into houses, trees, or pavement. This makes landing-gear emergencies at KCLW particularly consequential. You cannot afford to lose the runway. A gear collapse during landing rollout, caused by an unconfirmed or compromised gear, is not acceptable. Treat uncertain gear indications as genuine emergencies and troubleshoot before landing.
Electrical contacts in the landing gear system corrode over time — corrosion causes flickering lights and intermittent failures.
The Piper Arrow's landing gear position lights are electrical contacts that can corrode, especially in humid coastal environments like Clearwater, FL. A flickering light often indicates a corroded contact, not a mechanical gear failure. However, you cannot distinguish between a corroded contact (minor) and a mechanical failure (serious) from the flight deck. Treat all flickering lights as potential mechanical failures and troubleshoot accordingly. Post-flight inspection and maintenance are essential.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023 PA-28RT partial gear retraction during landing rollout), WPR22LA040 (2021 PA-28R-200 right main gear extension failure), ERA15LA289 (2015 PA-28R-180 unsafe nose gear indication and directional control loss), and CEN11LA418 (2011 PA-28R-201 wheels-up landing after power pack failure). Anonymized and localized to KCLW.
NTSB reports: CEN23LA417 · WPR22LA040 · ERA15LA289 · CEN11LA418
ACS tasks: PA.II.C — Preflight Inspection · PA.IV.A — Normal Approach and Landing · PA.IV.B — Forward Slip · PA.IV.C — Go-Around · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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