Narrative:

I departed phl airport at XY40 pm (jan/thu/92) en route to agc airport. Everything about the flight was normal until I selected gear down at GS intercept on the ILS 28 approach into agc airport. I did not get 3 green lights, the 2 mains illuminated but no nose gear indication. I first tested the push to test switch, to ensure the bulb was working - - it was. The next thing I did was recycled the gear -- still no nose gear indicator. I recycled the gear one last time -- still no nose gear. (Note: every time I cycled the gear up, the up and locked light illuminated, which was normal.) with the RVR at 4000 I knew a low approach at agc would do no good. The tower would not be able to tell me if the nose appeared to be down. I looked into the spinners to see if I could see the nose gear but it was too dark. I retarded a throttle and as expected the gear horn went off. History of this aircraft: on the preceding night, a different pilot had the exact same problem. He did the same procedures I did, landed without incident. The aircraft was worked on in phl and the 60-1 was signed off properly by an a&P. Knowing this, and the history of all small transport's (the fact that the nose gear down and lock switch gets stuck in cold WX), I landed the aircraft and to my surprise the nose gear was not down and locked. Once I exited the airplane I looked at the nose and saw that the gear doors were shut and not damaged. The nose gear simply did not come out. I did not notify ATC because I did not need priority handling. They could not assist me. In all honesty I thought the gear was down. I wish manufacturer could fix this problem with the landing gear and make a better emergency checklist, besides cycling the gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT LANDS HIS ACFT AFTER AN IMC APCH IN A NIGHT OP. NOSE GEAR HAD NOT INDICATED DOWN AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT LOWERING, LANDS AND SKIDS TO A STOP ON HIS NOSE. QUOTE 'SURPRISE!'

Narrative: I DEPARTED PHL ARPT AT XY40 PM (JAN/THU/92) ENRTE TO AGC ARPT. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FLT WAS NORMAL UNTIL I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AT GS INTERCEPT ON THE ILS 28 APCH INTO AGC ARPT. I DID NOT GET 3 GREEN LIGHTS, THE 2 MAINS ILLUMINATED BUT NO NOSE GEAR INDICATION. I FIRST TESTED THE PUSH TO TEST SWITCH, TO ENSURE THE BULB WAS WORKING - - IT WAS. THE NEXT THING I DID WAS RECYCLED THE GEAR -- STILL NO NOSE GEAR INDICATOR. I RECYCLED THE GEAR ONE LAST TIME -- STILL NO NOSE GEAR. (NOTE: EVERY TIME I CYCLED THE GEAR UP, THE UP AND LOCKED LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS NORMAL.) WITH THE RVR AT 4000 I KNEW A LOW APCH AT AGC WOULD DO NO GOOD. THE TWR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ME IF THE NOSE APPEARED TO BE DOWN. I LOOKED INTO THE SPINNERS TO SEE IF I COULD SEE THE NOSE GEAR BUT IT WAS TOO DARK. I RETARDED A THROTTLE AND AS EXPECTED THE GEAR HORN WENT OFF. HISTORY OF THIS ACFT: ON THE PRECEDING NIGHT, A DIFFERENT PLT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. HE DID THE SAME PROCS I DID, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS WORKED ON IN PHL AND THE 60-1 WAS SIGNED OFF PROPERLY BY AN A&P. KNOWING THIS, AND THE HISTORY OF ALL SMT'S (THE FACT THAT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCK SWITCH GETS STUCK IN COLD WX), I LANDED THE ACFT AND TO MY SURPRISE THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. ONCE I EXITED THE AIRPLANE I LOOKED AT THE NOSE AND SAW THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE SHUT AND NOT DAMAGED. THE NOSE GEAR SIMPLY DID NOT COME OUT. I DID NOT NOTIFY ATC BECAUSE I DID NOT NEED PRIORITY HANDLING. THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME. IN ALL HONESTY I THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. I WISH MANUFACTURER COULD FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH THE LNDG GEAR AND MAKE A BETTER EMER CHKLIST, BESIDES CYCLING THE GEAR.

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.