Narrative:

Inbound to btr, visual approach to runway 31, approximately 1500 ft AGL on gear extension the nose landing gear lights, indicating the nose gear down and locked, did not illuminate. The red gear unsafe lights did operate normally on gear extension. This aircraft also has a mechanical down lock indicator for the nose gear which indicated it was down and locked, and a gear/flap aural warning system which also indicated gear was down and locked. I elected to make a low pass over the runway and requested the tower to visually assess the position of our nose gear. After the low approach we entered right traffic for runway 31. While on downwind we began troubleshooting and checklists, but before any action was taken the gear indicating lights came on normally. Tower was advised and a normal approach and landing was made. Prior to and during our problem, there was an small transport aircraft that had taken off from btr that also had a gear problem we were aware of that aircraft and that the tower was concerned about his problem. Our request apparently placed additional stress on the local controller (runway 22R/4L was closed at the time and he may have been concerned over possible loss of second runway). We did not call out emergency equipment, nor did the small transport, to the best of our knowledge, but the local controller did call out the equipment. Shortly after we landed, the small transport also landed without incident. Even though we had not called our equipment I completed a response form for crash personnel. I did this reluctantly, feeling it should have been the responsibility of tower personnel. Several of my passengers were concerned by low approach, but more by presence of emergency equipment on the ramp to meet us. I can appreciate the local controllers concerns and needs, but would have liked it if he had had the equipment in place for the other aircraft and had it stand down for us when we advised him of normal operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS GEAR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS. DOES FLY BY MAKES APCH. ON DOWNWIND GEAR SAFE LIGHT COMES ON. SUCCESSFUL LNDG.

Narrative: INBOUND TO BTR, VISUAL APCH TO RWY 31, APPROX 1500 FT AGL ON GEAR EXTENSION THE NOSE LNDG GEAR LIGHTS, INDICATING THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE RED GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS DID OPERATE NORMALLY ON GEAR EXTENSION. THIS ACFT ALSO HAS A MECHANICAL DOWN LOCK INDICATOR FOR THE NOSE GEAR WHICH INDICATED IT WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, AND A GEAR/FLAP AURAL WARNING SYS WHICH ALSO INDICATED GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. I ELECTED TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY AND REQUESTED THE TWR TO VISUALLY ASSESS THE POS OF OUR NOSE GEAR. AFTER THE LOW APCH WE ENTERED R TFC FOR RWY 31. WHILE ON DOWNWIND WE BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING AND CHKLISTS, BUT BEFORE ANY ACTION WAS TAKEN THE GEAR INDICATING LIGHTS CAME ON NORMALLY. TWR WAS ADVISED AND A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE. PRIOR TO AND DURING OUR PROBLEM, THERE WAS AN SMT ACFT THAT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM BTR THAT ALSO HAD A GEAR PROBLEM WE WERE AWARE OF THAT ACFT AND THAT THE TWR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS PROBLEM. OUR REQUEST APPARENTLY PLACED ADDITIONAL STRESS ON THE LCL CTLR (RWY 22R/4L WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME AND HE MAY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE LOSS OF SECOND RWY). WE DID NOT CALL OUT EMER EQUIP, NOR DID THE SMT, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE LCL CTLR DID CALL OUT THE EQUIP. SHORTLY AFTER WE LANDED, THE SMT ALSO LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD NOT CALLED OUR EQUIP I COMPLETED A RESPONSE FORM FOR CRASH PERSONNEL. I DID THIS RELUCTANTLY, FEELING IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TWR PERSONNEL. SEVERAL OF MY PAXS WERE CONCERNED BY LOW APCH, BUT MORE BY PRESENCE OF EMER EQUIP ON THE RAMP TO MEET US. I CAN APPRECIATE THE LCL CTLRS CONCERNS AND NEEDS, BUT WOULD HAVE LIKED IT IF HE HAD HAD THE EQUIP IN PLACE FOR THE OTHER ACFT AND HAD IT STAND DOWN FOR US WHEN WE ADVISED HIM OF NORMAL OP.

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.