Gear Down and Locked — Or Is It?
Landing gear malfunction on approach to Sarasota Bradenton — a complex aircraft emergency with limited options and a tight decision window
The scenario
Departing Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Sarasota/Bradenton, FL — a 1.5-hour cross-country flight from a nearby field, returning to home base on Runway 14. Elevation 30 ft MSL. Runway 14 is 9,500 ft of asphalt, heading 134° true. The off-field environment off Runway 14's departure/approach end (heading 134°) is dense development, low-density development, and medium development — no open fields, no water, no alternate landing surface. You will be committed to the runway once you are on final.
It is a clear, calm Florida afternoon: OAT 26°C, winds calm to light, altimeter 30.01. Visibility 10+ SM. KSRQ is Class C airspace (ceiling 4,000 MSL), towered part-time (0600–0000 local). The tower is open and active. You are on a VFR flight plan, cleared to descend to 2,000 ft MSL for the approach.
Aircraft: Piper Arrow PA-28R, solo, 1,800 lb gross weight, within limits. Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected, constant-speed prop, retractable gear. The airplane was last serviced 10 days ago for an annual inspection; the right main landing gear door was removed and reinstalled as part of routine inspection. Nothing was written up. The airplane has flown 8 hours since the service.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, current, roughly 800 hours total, 200 hours in type (PA-28R). You are familiar with the airplane's gear system: three-position switch (UP / OFF / DOWN), three green lights (nose, left main, right main) for gear-down indication, and an emergency extension system (manual crank) if the power system fails. You have never had a gear malfunction.
You are 5 nm from KSRQ on a 134° heading, descending through 2,500 ft MSL, cleared for a straight-in approach to Runway 14. You call 'gear down' and move the landing gear selector to DOWN. The gear motor engages. You expect to see three green lights within 10–15 seconds. You get two green lights — nose and left main. The right main landing gear light remains dark.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSRQ · Sarasota Bradenton'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '30 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about landing gear malfunctions in the PA-28R? (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, causing the right wing to scrape the runway and the aircraft to exit the runway. The cause of the gear retraction could not be determined despite extensive testing. The probable cause was listed as 'undetermined,' but the event highlights the risk of partial or unexpected gear movement during landing.
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 aircraft landed on the left main and nose landing gear; the accident resulted from the installation of an improper right main landing gear door rod-end bolt that prevented the landing gear from extending. The bolt was installed during a recent maintenance action, and the improper part prevented the gear door from opening fully, blocking the gear extension.
NTSB ERA15LA289 (2015): A Piper PA-28R-180 on an instructional flight at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport experienced an unsafe nose landing gear indication and performed emergency extension procedures. The accident resulted from undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly that prevented proper gear alignment after extension, causing directional control loss and a runway excursion during landing. The fatigue cracks were not visible during routine inspections.
NTSB CEN11LA418 (2011): A Piper PA-28R-201 made a wheels-up landing after the landing gear power pack motor failed and the pilot did not use the emergency extension system. The accident resulted from the pilot's failure to use the emergency landing gear extension system, with contributing factors including the inoperative landing gear power pack motor. The pilot had the tools to extend the gear manually but did not use them.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft types — NOT at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. KSRQ has its own accident history (dominant pattern: loss of control on the ground, forced landing, runway excursion, hard landing, and loss of control in flight), but these specific landing gear events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSRQ to make the runway environment and off-field options real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: landing gear malfunctions in the PA-28R are often mechanical — improper parts, fatigue cracks, binding doors — and the first indication is often a dark or missing green light. The pilot's response to that indication determines the outcome. Declaring an emergency, requesting time to diagnose, using the emergency extension system, and requesting emergency services standing by are the correct responses. Continuing the approach with an unknown gear position, or landing without advising the tower, results in a gear-up landing and a runway excursion.
Key lesson — In the PA-28R, a dark landing gear light on approach is a serious indication that demands immediate action: cycle the gear, use the manual emergency extension system, declare an emergency, and request emergency services standing by. Do not continue the approach with an unknown gear position. The off-field environment off Runway 14 at KSRQ is dense development — there is no alternate landing surface. You are committed to the runway. The decision to diagnose the problem before landing, or to land with emergency services ready, is the difference between a safe landing and a gear-up excursion.
Debrief — teaching points
Three green lights means gear down and locked — anything less is unsafe.
The PA-28R has three green lights: nose, left main, and right main. All three must be illuminated for a confirmed gear-down-and-locked state. If any light is dark, the corresponding gear is either retracted, partially extended, or not locked. A dark light is not a minor electrical glitch — it is a mechanical indication that the gear is not in a safe landing configuration. Treat it as an emergency.
Gear light problems often have mechanical causes — improper parts, fatigue cracks, binding doors.
NTSB WPR22LA040 shows an improper gear door rod-end bolt preventing extension. NTSB ERA15LA289 shows fatigue cracks in the gear strut mount. NTSB CEN23LA417 shows partial retraction during landing. These are not electrical glitches — they are mechanical failures. A dark light may indicate a mechanical obstruction or binding, not just a failed bulb. Cycling the gear, using the emergency extension system, and requesting a visual inspection are the correct diagnostic steps.
The manual emergency extension system (hand crank) is your backup — use it if the power system fails.
The PA-28R has a manual crank for emergency gear extension. If the power system fails or the gear will not extend electrically, the manual crank is the backup. It requires effort and time, but it works. Know where it is, know how to use it, and practice the procedure in the aircraft before you need it in an emergency. A pilot who knows the manual system and uses it (as in the correct path through this scenario) survives; a pilot who does not know it or does not use it (as in NTSB CEN11LA418) crashes.
Declare an emergency and request emergency services standing by.
If you have a landing gear malfunction on approach, declare an emergency on tower frequency. Use the words: 'KSRQ Tower, Piper [N-number], declaring emergency, landing gear malfunction.' Request emergency services to be standing by. This alerts the tower, fire and rescue, and any other traffic in the area. It gives you priority handling and ensures that if the landing goes wrong, help is ready. An emergency declaration is not a failure — it is the correct use of the system.
Request a low-altitude inspection pass to visually confirm gear position before landing.
If the gear lights are ambiguous or you are unsure of the gear position, request a low-altitude pass (500 ft AGL) over the runway so the tower can visually confirm all three gear are down and locked. Fly down the runway at 90 KIAS (Vy) and ask tower to report what they see. This visual confirmation is often more reliable than the electrical lights, especially if the lights are intermittent or the gear is partially extended.
Off Runway 14 at KSRQ, the off-field environment is dense development — you are committed to the runway.
The off-field environment off Runway 14's approach end (heading 134°) is dense development, low-density development, and medium development. There is no open field, no water, no alternate landing surface. If you lose an engine or have a landing gear malfunction, you must land on Runway 14 — there is no other option. Know this before you depart. Runway 32 (heading 314°) has medium development and marsh — also not ideal, but slightly less dense than Runway 14. If you have a choice, Runway 32 may be the better option for an emergency landing.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023 PA-28RT partial gear retraction during landing rollout), WPR22LA040 (2021 PA-28R right main gear extension failure due to improper door rod-end bolt), ERA15LA289 (2015 PA-28R nose gear strut fatigue cracks preventing proper alignment), and CEN11LA418 (2011 PA-28R wheels-up landing after failure to use emergency extension system). Localized to KSRQ.
NTSB reports: CEN23LA417 · WPR22LA040 · ERA15LA289 · CEN11LA418
ACS tasks: PA.V.A — Preflight Inspection · PA.V.B — Cockpit Management and Automation · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.C — Flight Controls
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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