So having decided to take the day off from the annual yesterday I find out today that a 182RG landed gear up. Apparently there was a lot of drama and from the air the pilot called the fire department, police department, tower, and then flew around for an hour while the airport was close to other airplanes. The fire department told him apparently to stay in the plane with the door shut after he landed while they sprayed foam all over them. The pilot chose not to listen from the rumors being kicked around. That would have torqued my shorts if I had somewhere to go and the airport was closed while somebody was off burning off his fuel load. I'll be interested to hear more about this in the next few days.

Ok, pardon my ignorance but, did they just drag the poor thing over to a tie down spot? It looks like a skid mark in front of where it is err? parked? Would the gear not deploy after lifting it up?

Airport authorities, cops and firemen general do a lousy job of handling a gear up.
We had a 210 that landed gear up at our airport a year ago or so, and they wanted to keep all three runways closed until they moved it. It took me 30 min to convince them that it was absolutely stupid.

The plane was trailered to that tie down. At a glance the nosewheel looked to be stuck in the gear doors.

Did this happen at Reid Hillview?

Yes Kevin. It is on the ramp near the Victory hanger.

RHV is a "big" airport to close for an hour for some guy to burn off fuel. If you need to burn off fuel go fly around somewhere else. Then come back and land.

Who is doing your annual?

Hopefully in the next few months I will get a hangar at RHV. I am at E16 until then.

Kevin

I'll be back out there in the morning and more info should be available. Heck, I'll just stop in and ask the folks in the office and get the straight scoop.

Are you on the hanger list for RHV? For the first time in decades there is little or no wait to get in. I got on the hanger list in 1985 and my name was tossed when they updated the methods putting me back to the bottom a few years ago. I nearly lost my mind and thankfully didn't stroke out or have a heart attack when I found out. I got lucky when my name came up the inventor of "Pong" had just sold his 210 and I got his hanger as well as his fridge and shelves. He showed me the most expensive PC in the history of the world when he removed it from the hanger. Gotta go, but will tell that story soon. It's a good one.

Yes, I am on the list. I hoped to get one this month, but I haven't heard anything so far. Fingers crossed for a short wait.

Can't wait to hear what really happened with this 182.

Kevin

Unless you're flying an airplane with a landing weight restriction, burning off fuel makes no sense whatsoever. (even if you are in a large airplane with a landing weight limitation it may not make sense.)

Fuel vapor is more likely to ignite than liquid fuel. (Why you would worry about this in a high wing is beyond me but YMMV)

In an airplane where a gear up results in friction heating of a fuel tank you are actually better off with more rather than less fuel in the tanks.

He must have lost hydraulic fluid. In the 182RG there is no way to get the gear down if you have a hydraulic leak.

Which is commonly due to no one ever changing the hydraulic hoses for the nose gear. We have changed a few leaking sets for a few lucky 182 owners over the years.

Didn't someone pee in the reservoir in one of those to get the gear down? around 20 years ago? I think someone also reached outside and just pulled the gear down by hand.

Aw contrare! What usually happens IME is that a small leak develops, the fluid level starts dropping, pressure is lost and the pump runs to replenish the pressure. This cycle repeats until there is no longer sufficient fluid available at which time things get difficult. The pilot does not hear or notice the continuously running motor. The cure is to use any available fluid to replenish the reservoir. Any fluid will work, a self generated version has been used with success. Aim is important.

There are also several cases where the gear has been pulled down manually. On one I remember the guy used his belt to get a better grip and leverage to pull it into place. Much easier on a Cessna than a Bo.

No, he taxied in with full power. Sorry, couldn't help it.

Damage caused by the gear-up: $10,000
Damage caused by the recovery: $15,000

Cessna retract tid bits (maybe urban legend):
--the actuators that move the mains cost (OHC) $7000 each.
--one flight school use to issue canes to CFIs because hanging gears were very common. (Slow down, open door, hook cane on gear leg, pull forward)
--two chaps did use urine to refill the reservoir in order to complete a partial gear extension after the system lost fluid (true, as mentioned above)
--one young lady about gave her CFI a heart attack (laughing so hard) after she incorrectly demonstrated how to use the telescoping handle to pump down the gear.