Narrative:

Descending out of FL350 into kmaf everything was normal. Passing through FL200 I noticed a loud thumping noise that seemed to come from the nose gear area. My copilot and I tried to analyze the problem as we slowed to 180 KTS. About that time we were handed off to midland approach (124.6). I informed them that we had an unknown problem in the nose gear area and were trying to figure things out. As we got closer I asked if we could overfly the tower so that they could make a visual check of the aircraft as we were not sure if the problem was caused by a gear door, baggage door, etc. On the first pass they saw nothing abnormal. We made a turn back to the airport and flew past the tower with the gear down. Again they saw nothing abnormal. When the gear was put down the noise stopped at that time and all indications were normal. (I told the tower, prior to our fly-by that I would advise them if we would be declaring an emergency but to have the 'trucks' standing by. I never declared an emergency.) we landed without incident. We stopped clear of the runway and I checked the nose and gear area visually. Nothing looked abnormal and we continued to the ramp to park. On the way to the ramp I asked the copilot to ask tower if we needed to fill out any paperwork. They said no. I asked the driver of the fire truck that too, he said no. After the passenger left I had a mechanic from a local maintenance shop to inspect our aircraft. He saw nothing wrong with it so we (myself and copilot) flew the aircraft back to sgr. After takeoff out of kmaf the landing gear unlocked light stayed on after 2 trys so we kept the gear down and flew back to home base without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LTT HAD EMER EQUIP STANDING BY FOR THEIR LNDG AFTER THEY HEARD A MYSTERIOUS NOISE DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: DSNDING OUT OF FL350 INTO KMAF EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. PASSING THROUGH FL200 I NOTICED A LOUD THUMPING NOISE THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA. MY COPLT AND I TRIED TO ANALYZE THE PROBLEM AS WE SLOWED TO 180 KTS. ABOUT THAT TIME WE WERE HANDED OFF TO MIDLAND APCH (124.6). I INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM IN THE NOSE GEAR AREA AND WERE TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT. AS WE GOT CLOSER I ASKED IF WE COULD OVERFLY THE TWR SO THAT THEY COULD MAKE A VISUAL CHK OF THE ACFT AS WE WERE NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A GEAR DOOR, BAGGAGE DOOR, ETC. ON THE FIRST PASS THEY SAW NOTHING ABNORMAL. WE MADE A TURN BACK TO THE ARPT AND FLEW PAST THE TWR WITH THE GEAR DOWN. AGAIN THEY SAW NOTHING ABNORMAL. WHEN THE GEAR WAS PUT DOWN THE NOISE STOPPED AT THAT TIME AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. (I TOLD THE TWR, PRIOR TO OUR FLY-BY THAT I WOULD ADVISE THEM IF WE WOULD BE DECLARING AN EMER BUT TO HAVE THE 'TRUCKS' STANDING BY. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER.) WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE STOPPED CLR OF THE RWY AND I CHKED THE NOSE AND GEAR AREA VISUALLY. NOTHING LOOKED ABNORMAL AND WE CONTINUED TO THE RAMP TO PARK. ON THE WAY TO THE RAMP I ASKED THE COPLT TO ASK TWR IF WE NEEDED TO FILL OUT ANY PAPERWORK. THEY SAID NO. I ASKED THE DRIVER OF THE FIRE TRUCK THAT TOO, HE SAID NO. AFTER THE PAX LEFT I HAD A MECH FROM A LCL MAINT SHOP TO INSPECT OUR ACFT. HE SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH IT SO WE (MYSELF AND COPLT) FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO SGR. AFTER TKOF OUT OF KMAF THE LNDG GEAR UNLOCKED LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER 2 TRYS SO WE KEPT THE GEAR DOWN AND FLEW BACK TO HOME BASE WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.