Flight crew coordination and decision making hampered by publication deficiency and improper aircraf...

Attributes
ACN	203183
Time
Date	199202
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pfn
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pfn tower : sju
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	203183
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11200 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	203311
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

As I was flying into panama city, I noted that the nose landing gear green light was not illuminated. The captain elected to recycle the gear to see if that would correct the situation -- it did not. He then requested to hold over the field so that we could troubleshoot the situation. We went through the landing gear abnormal procedures, page 8, checklist with no success. Both of us alternately looked through the nose gear peep hole but could not positively determine whether the nose gear was down and locked due to the viewing hole being too dirty. Light bulbs were replaced. Air carrier flight control and maintenance coordinator were contacted to discuss the options and the decision was made to return to atlanta with the gear up at 23000 ft with the intent to conserve fuel. An emergency was declared with atl ARTCC to ensure priority handling. The fire department was notified through air carrier flight control to standby in the event of any complications. A longer final was flown to 27R to allow for time to lower gear manually if necessary when gear was lowered during normal means, we got a normal 3 down and locked indication. We notified the tower of this. The captain held the nose off as long as possible during the landing rollout. There were no further complications. Possible recommendations: 1) the abnormal procedures, page 8, should include the replacing of the light bulbs since the green landing gear lights are not 'press to test.' 2) the abnormal procedures, page 8, if applicable, should include the retarding of throttles to idle with the landing gear down to see if the gear warning horn would sound.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC COORD AND DECISION MAKING HAMPERED BY PUBLICATION DEFICIENCY AND IMPROPER ACFT EQUIP DESIGN OPERATING PROC AS DICTATED BY CHKLIST PROC. ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM WITH GEAR INDICATION.

Narrative: AS I WAS FLYING INTO PANAMA CITY, I NOTED THAT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT THE SITUATION -- IT DID NOT. HE THEN REQUESTED TO HOLD OVER THE FIELD SO THAT WE COULD TROUBLESHOOT THE SITUATION. WE WENT THROUGH THE LNDG GEAR ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, CHKLIST WITH NO SUCCESS. BOTH OF US ALTERNATELY LOOKED THROUGH THE NOSE GEAR PEEP HOLE BUT COULD NOT POSITIVELY DETERMINE WHETHER THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED DUE TO THE VIEWING HOLE BEING TOO DIRTY. LIGHT BULBS WERE REPLACED. ACR FLT CTL AND MAINT COORDINATOR WERE CONTACTED TO DISCUSS THE OPTIONS AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO ATLANTA WITH THE GEAR UP AT 23000 FT WITH THE INTENT TO CONSERVE FUEL. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATL ARTCC TO ENSURE PRIORITY HANDLING. THE FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED THROUGH ACR FLT CTL TO STANDBY IN THE EVENT OF ANY COMPLICATIONS. A LONGER FINAL WAS FLOWN TO 27R TO ALLOW FOR TIME TO LOWER GEAR MANUALLY IF NECESSARY WHEN GEAR WAS LOWERED DURING NORMAL MEANS, WE GOT A NORMAL 3 DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. WE NOTIFIED THE TWR OF THIS. THE CAPT HELD THE NOSE OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) THE ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, SHOULD INCLUDE THE REPLACING OF THE LIGHT BULBS SINCE THE GREEN LNDG GEAR LIGHTS ARE NOT 'PRESS TO TEST.' 2) THE ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, IF APPLICABLE, SHOULD INCLUDE THE RETARDING OF THROTTLES TO IDLE WITH THE LNDG GEAR DOWN TO SEE IF THE GEAR WARNING HORN WOULD SOUND.

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.

Flight crew coordination and decision making hampered by publication deficiency and improper aircraft equipment design operating procedure as dictated by checklist procedure. Aircraft equipment problem with gear indication.