Jim Macklin wrote:
The rule does not require the pilot to say the "magic words"
to have an emergency, nor does it mean that if the words are
not spoken an emergency does not exist. The rules also
require a report IF traffic priority is given. The tower
saw that you were doing something out of the ordinary. They
may have extended another airplane [perhaps an airliner] and
if the airline asked why their fuel bill was $1,000 higher
and 10 minutes late, the tower needs your statement, really
just a N-number, name to CYA.

You're just makin' this **** up. Nowhere does it spell out that if you
do something "unusual" does that then require a report. In the
situation where the gear light failed you ask to have a little
manuvering space to check it out. We give you that and you tell us it
was the bulb. You get the equipment as a matter of course. Whether you
think it is an emergency or not is irrelavant, we do so therefore it is
an emergency. You land safely and there are two lines on the daily log.
Fiorst line states that N12345 has gear difficulty and that the trucks
were rolled. Second line states you landed safely. That's it and the
end of it. That log, like all daily logs, gets kept for a year. They
are not forwarded on to anybody. You will not be asked for a report.
If there is an incident or accident you may be called by the tower for
some information. We had one of the local C310's that is used by a 135
air taxi outfit to deliver bank checks everyday fold up its right main
three weeks ago on landing. Gear ups are by definition an incident and
not an accident. Normally the airport and FBO can get a gear up off the
runway pretty quickly however this time the owner of the plane demanded
that they lift up the plane using two cranes, like you're supposed to to
prevent further damage. It took an extra half hour to locate so the
plane tied up our main runway for over an hour. Many airliners, air
taxi's and biz jets in holding while all of this going on. We never
talked to the pilot of the 310 after the gear up, no need to. The fire
truck guys have their own paperwork but that has nothing to do with the FAA.