Narrative:

When landing gear was extended for landing at mem, the gear door light did not go out, indicating that the main landing gear door(south) is not up and locked. The procedure in the cockpit operating manual allows them (the doors) to come open and to scrub along the runway on landing. Maintenance personnel must then close the doors manually and pin the gear after landing. We informed the passenger, our maintenance people and the tower as to what the situation was and what was going to transpire. We landed without incident and our maintenance people came out and closed the doors on the taxiway and we taxied to the gate. We had not used the word 'emergency' when communicating with the tower, and it dawned on me as we taxied in, that it would have been more prudent to have the emergency equipment standing by since we were landing in an abnormal confign. In the future, I will brief the copilot to 'declare an emergency' if this or a similar situation arises. Supplemental information from acn 209877: about HH40L while taxiing to 18L in mem (air carrier a), I observed another medium large transport land on runway 18L with its gear doors down. I did not observe any fire trucks in the area, so I notified ground control (121.9) of the event and suggested they inform the tower because of possible debris on the runway. Ground acknowledged the call and continued to direct other ground traffic. I observed a air carrier B move into position for takeoff on 18L. The captain told me to call the tower. I called the mem tower (119.7 ) and told them that the previous medium large transport had landed with it gear doors down. I would have surmised that the tower was aware of the event, but the controller seemed unaware of it. Tower then asked me if I was requesting an inspection of the runway. Although we were about #4 in line for takeoff, the captain and I agreed that we wanted the runway inspected prior to our departure. Tower then asked the air carrier B in position on 18L if he saw an debris. The air carrier B replied that he couldn't see any for at least 1000 ft. A vehicle inspected the runway from the approach end to the turnoff and observed no debris. I do not know what conversations the landing medium large transport had with tower. I find it hard to understand why no emergency equipment or inspection vehicle was standing by for an inspection of a runway had he announced that he would be landing with the gear doors down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG LANDED WITH ITS LNDG GEAR DOORS OPEN. THEY DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.

Narrative: WHEN LNDG GEAR WAS EXTENDED FOR LNDG AT MEM, THE GEAR DOOR LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT, INDICATING THAT THE MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR(S) IS NOT UP AND LOCKED. THE PROC IN THE COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL ALLOWS THEM (THE DOORS) TO COME OPEN AND TO SCRUB ALONG THE RWY ON LNDG. MAINT PERSONNEL MUST THEN CLOSE THE DOORS MANUALLY AND PIN THE GEAR AFTER LNDG. WE INFORMED THE PAX, OUR MAINT PEOPLE AND THE TWR AS TO WHAT THE SITUATION WAS AND WHAT WAS GOING TO TRANSPIRE. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND OUR MAINT PEOPLE CAME OUT AND CLOSED THE DOORS ON THE TAXIWAY AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. WE HAD NOT USED THE WORD 'EMER' WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR, AND IT DAWNED ON ME AS WE TAXIED IN, THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT TO HAVE THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY SINCE WE WERE LNDG IN AN ABNORMAL CONFIGN. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BRIEF THE COPLT TO 'DECLARE AN EMER' IF THIS OR A SIMILAR SITUATION ARISES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 209877: ABOUT HH40L WHILE TAXIING TO 18L IN MEM (ACR A), I OBSERVED ANOTHER MLG LAND ON RWY 18L WITH ITS GEAR DOORS DOWN. I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY FIRE TRUCKS IN THE AREA, SO I NOTIFIED GND CTL (121.9) OF THE EVENT AND SUGGESTED THEY INFORM THE TWR BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE DEBRIS ON THE RWY. GND ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND CONTINUED TO DIRECT OTHER GND TFC. I OBSERVED A ACR B MOVE INTO POS FOR TKOF ON 18L. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR. I CALLED THE MEM TWR (119.7 ) AND TOLD THEM THAT THE PREVIOUS MLG HAD LANDED WITH IT GEAR DOORS DOWN. I WOULD HAVE SURMISED THAT THE TWR WAS AWARE OF THE EVENT, BUT THE CTLR SEEMED UNAWARE OF IT. TWR THEN ASKED ME IF I WAS REQUESTING AN INSPECTION OF THE RWY. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ABOUT #4 IN LINE FOR TKOF, THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT WE WANTED THE RWY INSPECTED PRIOR TO OUR DEP. TWR THEN ASKED THE ACR B IN POS ON 18L IF HE SAW AN DEBRIS. THE ACR B REPLIED THAT HE COULDN'T SEE ANY FOR AT LEAST 1000 FT. A VEHICLE INSPECTED THE RWY FROM THE APCH END TO THE TURNOFF AND OBSERVED NO DEBRIS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CONVERSATIONS THE LNDG MLG HAD WITH TWR. I FIND IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY NO EMER EQUIP OR INSPECTION VEHICLE WAS STANDING BY FOR AN INSPECTION OF A RWY HAD HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE LNDG WITH THE GEAR DOORS DOWN.

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.