Air carrier large transport nose gear failed to lock down for landing at ord.

Attributes
ACN	159470
Time
Date	199010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	159470
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Over ridge OM, runway 22R ord. Landing gear lever down, nose gear unsafe indication, no nose gear greenlight, nose gear red light illuminated. Control tower was advised and we accepted vectors and 4000' altitude. Followed flight operations manual procedures for failed 'a' hydraulic system as we had not hydraulic 'a' system pressure or quantity. Second officer tried manual landing gear extension. Still nose gear red light illuminated. Tried roller coaster flight with no help. Tried manual gear extension 2 more times, with no help. Briefed F/a's for possible landing evacuate/evacuation. Second officer looked through nose gear viewing window and confirmed alignment marks not aligned. Told ord tower to call for emergency equipment. Landing was smooth by first officer. Used flaps 40 degrees for landing. Runway used was 32L at ord. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback conversation revealed that the nose gear down latch disintegrated when the gear was extended. After landing the nose gear did not collapse but the ground crew was unable to install the gear pin until the aircraft was jacked up. The pin alignment holes missed by over 1'. Passenger were taken off and bussed to the terminal. Portable stairs and the tail loading stairs were used with no injury to anyone. Aircraft age is suspected as a contributing factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT NOSE GEAR FAILED TO LOCK DOWN FOR LNDG AT ORD.

Narrative: OVER RIDGE OM, RWY 22R ORD. LNDG GEAR LEVER DOWN, NOSE GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION, NO NOSE GEAR GREENLIGHT, NOSE GEAR RED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CTL TWR WAS ADVISED AND WE ACCEPTED VECTORS AND 4000' ALT. FOLLOWED FLT OPS MANUAL PROCS FOR FAILED 'A' HYD SYS AS WE HAD NOT HYD 'A' SYS PRESSURE OR QUANTITY. S/O TRIED MANUAL LNDG GEAR EXTENSION. STILL NOSE GEAR RED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TRIED ROLLER COASTER FLT WITH NO HELP. TRIED MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION 2 MORE TIMES, WITH NO HELP. BRIEFED F/A'S FOR POSSIBLE LNDG EVAC. S/O LOOKED THROUGH NOSE GEAR VIEWING WINDOW AND CONFIRMED ALIGNMENT MARKS NOT ALIGNED. TOLD ORD TWR TO CALL FOR EMER EQUIP. LNDG WAS SMOOTH BY F/O. USED FLAPS 40 DEGS FOR LNDG. RWY USED WAS 32L AT ORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK CONVERSATION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LATCH DISINTEGRATED WHEN THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED. AFTER LNDG THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT COLLAPSE BUT THE GND CREW WAS UNABLE TO INSTALL THE GEAR PIN UNTIL THE ACFT WAS JACKED UP. THE PIN ALIGNMENT HOLES MISSED BY OVER 1'. PAX WERE TAKEN OFF AND BUSSED TO THE TERMINAL. PORTABLE STAIRS AND THE TAIL LOADING STAIRS WERE USED WITH NO INJURY TO ANYONE. ACFT AGE IS SUSPECTED AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.