Narrative:

The copilot was flying. We departed and the right main gear down indicator came on during the third stage of the climb. We recycled the gear twice, but the light still showed the right gear to be down and locked at all times. I decided to return to the field and land. After a fly-by, both tower controllers and company maintenance personnel confirmed the gear to be down. We landed and I had emergency equipment standing by as a precaution. I believe the problem was a failed switch in the gear system. If this is true, the possibility exists for the gear light to show down and locked when the gear is not. The aircraft type was an medium large transport. Supplemental information from acn 146763: I decided to return to the field shortly after takeoff because of multiple system failures. The aircraft had no been flown previously. It came from the maintenance hangar. It had a history of main problems (the aircraft type was an medium large transport). We departed and as soon as we retracted the gear we had a list of warnings displayed on the multi-function display unit. They included 1) EFIS, 2) wind shear detection, 3) wind shear guidance, 4) left main gear door switch, 5) afcas maintenance required. Some of those warnings were no doubt due to the fact that we had also lost both flight control computers. As we configured the aircraft to land (i.e., put the gear down along with the flaps) all of the warnings went away except for afcas maintenance required. It seems that on an aircraft with such sophisticated systems that the important components such as flight control computers should not be taken off the line at the same time by something as common as the landing gear being retracted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAME REPORTER ON 2 DIFFERENT FLTS AND SAME TYPE EQUIPMENT COMPLAINS OF EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS THAT REQUIRE HIM TO RETURN AND LAND, 2 TIMES.

Narrative: THE COPLT WAS FLYING. WE DEPARTED AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DOWN INDICATOR CAME ON DURING THE THIRD STAGE OF THE CLB. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR TWICE, BUT THE LIGHT STILL SHOWED THE RIGHT GEAR TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED AT ALL TIMES. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND LAND. AFTER A FLY-BY, BOTH TWR CTLRS AND COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE GEAR TO BE DOWN. WE LANDED AND I HAD EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AS A PRECAUTION. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS A FAILED SWITCH IN THE GEAR SYS. IF THIS IS TRUE, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR THE GEAR LIGHT TO SHOW DOWN AND LOCKED WHEN THE GEAR IS NOT. THE ACFT TYPE WAS AN MLG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146763: I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD SHORTLY AFTER TKOF BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE SYS FAILURES. THE ACFT HAD NO BEEN FLOWN PREVIOUSLY. IT CAME FROM THE MAINT HANGAR. IT HAD A HISTORY OF MAIN PROBS (THE ACFT TYPE WAS AN MLG). WE DEPARTED AND AS SOON AS WE RETRACTED THE GEAR WE HAD A LIST OF WARNINGS DISPLAYED ON THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY UNIT. THEY INCLUDED 1) EFIS, 2) WIND SHEAR DETECTION, 3) WIND SHEAR GUIDANCE, 4) LEFT MAIN GEAR DOOR SWITCH, 5) AFCAS MAINT REQUIRED. SOME OF THOSE WARNINGS WERE NO DOUBT DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD ALSO LOST BOTH FLT CONTROL COMPUTERS. AS WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT TO LAND (I.E., PUT THE GEAR DOWN ALONG WITH THE FLAPS) ALL OF THE WARNINGS WENT AWAY EXCEPT FOR AFCAS MAINT REQUIRED. IT SEEMS THAT ON AN ACFT WITH SUCH SOPHISTICATED SYSTEMS THAT THE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS SUCH AS FLT CONTROL COMPUTERS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN OFF THE LINE AT THE SAME TIME BY SOMETHING AS COMMON AS THE LNDG GEAR BEING RETRACTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.