Narrative:

I was on an instrument flight in an small aircraft from lgb to san. The purpose of the flight was to finish up break-in on 2 new engines, combined with doing some instrument proficiency flying. The flight progressed smoothly until close to lindbergh field. We were level at 5000' on radar vectors eastbound on a downwind for a localizer 27 approach. ATC informed us we were #1 for landing after we acknowledged 'airport in sight,' and were then cleared to descend from 5000' and make visibility approach to runway 27. We extended landing gear to assist in our descent. We initiated the descent with a high power setting. We received a gear unsafe light and 2 green main gear lights (with a gear extension at or near the vle speed nose gear will occasionally not lock down, but this is not an immediate cause for alarm). We cycled the gear and after the second attempt, and after discovering we were not descending much, we continued our descent and switched landing gear light bulbs. We verified that the nose gear was not down and locked, although it looked ok visually in the mirror. We then slowed the aircraft further below the vle speed to assist in getting the nose gear to lock, which it did as the gear was cycled for the third time. This speed reduction may have actually caused the descent to be reversed. At some point during these events our visibility approach clearance was cancelled and we were instructed to descend and maintain 4000', continue on an eastbound heading and expect to follow a widebody transport jet, which we did, to an uneventful landing. We were, during the gear problem, scolded about our descent and acknowledged descending from 4700', and were called as 'traffic, 4800'' to a commuter closing from behind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH PROFILE NOT COMPLIED WITH ACCOUNT GEAR SAFE LIGHT PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLT IN AN SMA FROM LGB TO SAN. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO FINISH UP BREAK-IN ON 2 NEW ENGS, COMBINED WITH DOING SOME INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY FLYING. THE FLT PROGRESSED SMOOTHLY UNTIL CLOSE TO LINDBERGH FIELD. WE WERE LEVEL AT 5000' ON RADAR VECTORS EBND ON A DOWNWIND FOR A LOC 27 APCH. ATC INFORMED US WE WERE #1 FOR LNDG AFTER WE ACKNOWLEDGED 'ARPT IN SIGHT,' AND WERE THEN CLRED TO DSND FROM 5000' AND MAKE VIS APCH TO RWY 27. WE EXTENDED LNDG GEAR TO ASSIST IN OUR DSNT. WE INITIATED THE DSNT WITH A HIGH PWR SETTING. WE RECEIVED A GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT AND 2 GREEN MAIN GEAR LIGHTS (WITH A GEAR EXTENSION AT OR NEAR THE VLE SPD NOSE GEAR WILL OCCASIONALLY NOT LOCK DOWN, BUT THIS IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE CAUSE FOR ALARM). WE CYCLED THE GEAR AND AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT, AND AFTER DISCOVERING WE WERE NOT DSNDING MUCH, WE CONTINUED OUR DSNT AND SWITCHED LNDG GEAR LIGHT BULBS. WE VERIFIED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED OK VISUALLY IN THE MIRROR. WE THEN SLOWED THE ACFT FURTHER BELOW THE VLE SPD TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE NOSE GEAR TO LOCK, WHICH IT DID AS THE GEAR WAS CYCLED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THIS SPD REDUCTION MAY HAVE ACTUALLY CAUSED THE DSNT TO BE REVERSED. AT SOME POINT DURING THESE EVENTS OUR VIS APCH CLRNC WAS CANCELLED AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 4000', CONTINUE ON AN EBND HDG AND EXPECT TO FOLLOW A WDB JET, WHICH WE DID, TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE WERE, DURING THE GEAR PROB, SCOLDED ABOUT OUR DSNT AND ACKNOWLEDGED DSNDING FROM 4700', AND WERE CALLED AS 'TFC, 4800'' TO A COMMUTER CLOSING FROM BEHIND.

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.