JEM AIR HOLDINGS LLC

DEPARTING EMPTY FROM KDAB RELOCATING TO KSAT. ON TAKEOFF/CLIMB, THE CAPTAIN THOUGHT HE SAW A VEY LIGHT SMOKE PRESENCE AND FAINT OIL SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AREA. HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO KDAB, HE DID DECLARE AN EMERGENCY FOR PRECAUTIONARY PURPOSES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED SAFELY BACK AT THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT MET THE AIRCRAFT AND SCANNED THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE FRONT TO BACK AS WELL AS THE ENGINES FOR A HEAT SIGNATURE AND POSSIBLE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. THE SCANNING OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO BE NORMAL - NO SIGNS OF ABNORMAL HEAT. LOCAL MAINTENANCE WAS CALLED OUT TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE, THEY PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT FROM NOSE TO TAIL TRYING TO IDENTIFY ANY CAUSE OF SMOKE/OIL SMELL. THE ENGINE WERE INSPECTED, BLEED AIR LINES IN THE TAIL SECTION - NO OBVIOUS ISSUES WERE FOUND. MAINTENANCE THEN CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL - THE RH ENGINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A QUART OVER FILLED. THIS HAS BEEN FOUND TO CAUSE OIL TO GET PUSHED INTO THE COMPRESSOR SECTION OF THE ENGINE AND CREATE LIGHT TO HEAVY SMOKE AND THE OIL SMELL THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT INTERIOR. THE OIL QUANTITY WAS ADJUSTED AND HIGH POWER ENGINE RUNS WERE COMPLETED AND ALL SYSTEMS TESTED. NO ISSUES WERE REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED KDAB FOR INTENDED REPO FLIGHT TO KSAT. THE TRIP WAS COMPLETED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES/ISSUES NOTED.

WHILE ON CLIMB OUT FROM KGSO, THE "HYDRAULIC PRESSURE" (WHITE) LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE CLIMBED TO ALTITUDE, AND PER THE CHECKLIST, CYCLED THE LAST USED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM (FLAPS). THE LIGHT DID NOT EXTINGUISH. PER THE CHECKLIST WE THEN PULLED THE FOUR (4) CIRCUIT BREAKERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. WHILE CONDUCTING THIS PORTION OF THE CHECKLIST, ALL LANDING GEAR DEPLOYED IN FLIGHT AND THE "LOW HYDRAULIC PRESSURE/ANTI-SKID" CAUTION (YELLOW) LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PUSHED BACK IN, THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND STOWED, BUT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO UNLOCK AND BANG AGAINST THE NOSE GEAR DOORS ILLUMINATING THE "GEAR UNLOCKED" WARNING (RED) LIGHT. THE "LOW HYDRAULIC PRESSURE/ANTI-SKID" LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A RETURN TO KGSO. ATC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR US. WE PERFORMED A LOW APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT ALL LANDING GEAR HAD DEPLOYED. BOTH THE TOWER AND EMERGENCY UNITS CONFIRMED THAT ALL GEAR WERE DEPLOYED.