Landing gear will not extend normally for commuter light transport at spi.

Attributes
ACN	132204
Time
Date	198912
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : spi
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : spi tower : mco
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	132204
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight was executing an ILS approach to runway 4 at spi. The WX at the time was low IFR. As we crossed the OM, I called for the landing gear, the nose gear did not extend, but the mains were down and locked. We cycled the gear twice, but the nose gear still did not go down. At this pint I executed the missed approach and entered a holding pattern to see if we could correct the problem. After further attempts failed I return to our alternate (stl). I did not want to manually extend the gear and then miss the approach at spi and be stuck with the gear down. This would have been a bad situation considering the WX and our weight. After I returned the aircraft to stl, I wrote down on the log page the reason why we returned to stl. At this point the mechanics and I talked about the problem and I gave them the logbook and proceeded to a different aircraft to continue the trip. In the wake of all this, I apparently didn't make the proper write-up on the log page.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR WILL NOT EXTEND NORMALLY FOR COMMUTER LTT AT SPI.

Narrative: FLT WAS EXECUTING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 4 AT SPI. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS LOW IFR. AS WE CROSSED THE OM, I CALLED FOR THE LNDG GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND, BUT THE MAINS WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. WE CYCLED THE GEAR TWICE, BUT THE NOSE GEAR STILL DID NOT GO DOWN. AT THIS PINT I EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH AND ENTERED A HOLDING PATTERN TO SEE IF WE COULD CORRECT THE PROB. AFTER FURTHER ATTEMPTS FAILED I RETURN TO OUR ALTERNATE (STL). I DID NOT WANT TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE GEAR AND THEN MISS THE APCH AT SPI AND BE STUCK WITH THE GEAR DOWN. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BAD SITUATION CONSIDERING THE WX AND OUR WT. AFTER I RETURNED THE ACFT TO STL, I WROTE DOWN ON THE LOG PAGE THE REASON WHY WE RETURNED TO STL. AT THIS POINT THE MECHS AND I TALKED ABOUT THE PROB AND I GAVE THEM THE LOGBOOK AND PROCEEDED TO A DIFFERENT ACFT TO CONTINUE THE TRIP. IN THE WAKE OF ALL THIS, I APPARENTLY DIDN'T MAKE THE PROPER WRITE-UP ON THE LOG PAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.