While the sight of a Gulfstream V circling Portland with one gear stuck up captivated the national news services until they realized that no crash was to take place, it's the details that most concern those of us in the aviation community. The NTSB Prelim sheds a little more light on the incident and the excellent crew/Gulfstream coordination that turned this media-event into a non-event.

NTSB Identification: SEA06IA019
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Incident occurred Monday, November 21, 2005 in Hillsboro, OR
Aircraft: Gulfstream Aerospace G-5, registration: N225GV
Injuries: 7 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On November 21, 2005, at approximately 0600 Pacific standard time, a Gulfstream Aerospace, G-5 (file photo, below), N225GV, was not damaged following a right main landing gear door sequencing failure near Portland-Hillsboro Airport (KHIO), Hillsboro, Oregon. The airline transport pilot, the airline transport co-pilot, the cabin attendant, and four passengers were not injured. Nike Inc. was operating the flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country business flight which was originating at the time of the event. An IFR flight plan had been activated.

The pilot said that as they raised the landing gear on the initial takeoff, the right main gear door did not retract. He said that the checklist instructed him to cycle the landing gear; when he cycled the landing gear, the right main became jammed in the half down position. The pilot performed a low fly-by, and maintenance personnel on the ground photographed the bottom of the airplane. Gulfstream Aerospace engineers reviewed the photograph and advised the pilot in how to extend the landing gear. Six hours and ten minutes after takeoff, the airplane landed successfully.

FMI: http://ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?ev_id=20051123X01879&key=1