Narrative:

Msy-iah, regular scheduled flight was normal until on final approach segment. Landing gear nose wheel did not illuminate as normal. Gear was recycled and again unsafe. Sector 3, page 28 abnormal fcm complied with. Neither captain nor first officer could positively confirm down and locked position due to dirt and poor visibility. After communicating with iah maintenance, we checked to do a low approach fly-by with tower and maintenance personnel observing. Reported gear position normal for landing. We declared an emergency condition and requested equipment standing by. Normal approach was then executed with normal landing, then inserted all 3 gear pins for taxi in to gate area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MAKES A FLY-BY TWR FOR A GEAR CHECK AFTER NOSE GEAR LIGHT FAILS TO ILLUMINATE AFTER GEAR DOWN.

Narrative: MSY-IAH, REGULAR SCHEDULED FLT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ON FINAL APCH SEGMENT. LNDG GEAR NOSE WHEEL DID NOT ILLUMINATE AS NORMAL. GEAR WAS RECYCLED AND AGAIN UNSAFE. SECTOR 3, PAGE 28 ABNORMAL FCM COMPLIED WITH. NEITHER CAPT NOR F/O COULD POSITIVELY CONFIRM DOWN AND LOCKED POS DUE TO DIRT AND POOR VISIBILITY. AFTER COMMUNICATING WITH IAH MAINT, WE CHKED TO DO A LOW APCH FLY-BY WITH TWR AND MAINT PERSONNEL OBSERVING. RPTED GEAR POS NORMAL FOR LNDG. WE DECLARED AN EMER CONDITION AND REQUESTED EQUIP STANDING BY. NORMAL APCH WAS THEN EXECUTED WITH NORMAL LNDG, THEN INSERTED ALL 3 GEAR PINS FOR TAXI IN TO GATE AREA.

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.