Narrative:

On jan/fri/92 at AM40 while conducting a visual approach to runway 28 at alb (albany, ny), I was given landing clearance by albany tower on runway 28. After reducing speed at pattern altitude on a straight-in approach I selected gear down. With less than 1/4 mi to the runway, I advised tower that I wished to go around to allow more time to verify my gear was down and locked ( I did not have a green light on the nose wheel). Tower cleared me to enter a right downwind for runway 01, which I did. During this time I recycled the landing gear and although I was able to visually verify the gear was down I did not see a green light on the nose wheel. I informed the tower I would need more time to verify the gear was down. However, immediately after they cleared me to circle southeast of the airport the indicator light illuminated and I advised tower I was able to land. I was cleared to land on runway 01 from the right downwind. I determined that due to the cold temperature and moisture accumulated in the wheel well, that the gear light micro switch had simply taken slightly longer than normal to activate. Also, because the nose wheel is normally the last wheel to fully deploy on that aircraft and because the gear is activated by an engine driver hydraulic pump, I could have prevented the need for a go around by allowing more time for the gear to extend while using a higher power setting to allow the hydraulic pump to operate at full speed. I was not requested to supply a report by ATC although the tower called the arff on the runway at their initiative. I did not believe that a mechanical problem existed so I continued to fly the aircraft prior to any inspection. As I suspected, the delay on the nose wheel light was later determined to be caused by frozen moisture on the switch and did not occur again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ATX PLT HAS AN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM INFLT AND HAS GOOD COORD FROM ATCT LCL CTLR IN VERIFYING GEAR DOWN INDICATION.

Narrative: ON JAN/FRI/92 AT AM40 WHILE CONDUCTING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28 AT ALB (ALBANY, NY), I WAS GIVEN LNDG CLRNC BY ALBANY TWR ON RWY 28. AFTER REDUCING SPD AT PATTERN ALT ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH I SELECTED GEAR DOWN. WITH LESS THAN 1/4 MI TO THE RWY, I ADVISED TWR THAT I WISHED TO GAR TO ALLOW MORE TIME TO VERIFY MY GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED ( I DID NOT HAVE A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE WHEEL). TWR CLRED ME TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 01, WHICH I DID. DURING THIS TIME I RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR AND ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN I DID NOT SEE A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE WHEEL. I INFORMED THE TWR I WOULD NEED MORE TIME TO VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN. HOWEVER, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY CLRED ME TO CIRCLE SE OF THE ARPT THE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I ADVISED TWR I WAS ABLE TO LAND. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 01 FROM THE R DOWNWIND. I DETERMINED THAT DUE TO THE COLD TEMP AND MOISTURE ACCUMULATED IN THE WHEEL WELL, THAT THE GEAR LIGHT MICRO SWITCH HAD SIMPLY TAKEN SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL TO ACTIVATE. ALSO, BECAUSE THE NOSE WHEEL IS NORMALLY THE LAST WHEEL TO FULLY DEPLOY ON THAT ACFT AND BECAUSE THE GEAR IS ACTIVATED BY AN ENG DRIVER HYD PUMP, I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE NEED FOR A GAR BY ALLOWING MORE TIME FOR THE GEAR TO EXTEND WHILE USING A HIGHER PWR SETTING TO ALLOW THE HYD PUMP TO OPERATE AT FULL SPD. I WAS NOT REQUESTED TO SUPPLY A RPT BY ATC ALTHOUGH THE TWR CALLED THE ARFF ON THE RWY AT THEIR INITIATIVE. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM EXISTED SO I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT PRIOR TO ANY INSPECTION. AS I SUSPECTED, THE DELAY ON THE NOSE WHEEL LIGHT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED BY FROZEN MOISTURE ON THE SWITCH AND DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

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.