Captain of small transport jet declared emergency and 'blew the landing gear down' after the flight ...

Attributes
ACN	227287
Time
Date	199211
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw tower : sgf
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 27560 flight time type : 1065
ASRS Report	227287
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
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

Narrative:

On nov/fri/92 I was flying an small transport jet from grr to mdw to drop passenger and return grr empty. I made the 31L ILS approach breaking off to land 22R. On base leg, I dropped the gear and we received no green lights for a safe gear, my comment: where is the day/night light switch? While looking for and turning it on the first officer pulled the gear indicator (with idea of checking bulbs). He could not get it out or back in. Now turning final, I told mdw tower we had a gear problem and requested right traffic which was approved. At this point first officer flew aircraft and I tried to reset gear indicator with no success. On downwind leg we tried annunciator lights, day/night switch, still no green lights on indicator which we could not remove or reset. I lowered the gear and told mdw tower we would like a low approach to check the gear. After this, the tower reported all 3 gear appeared normal. On downwind leg, still no safe or unsafe indication so I did the emergency procedure and blew the gear. Landing was normal and no more problems. Talked with home maintenance on telephone and decision made to fly home with gear down. Approximately halfway home, we were able to get indicator reset and it showed 3 green safe gear. Since it had been blown, we left it down and landed without further incident. Cause: I believe, pulling switch before checking day/night switch, annunciator lights and a better switch for the gear that could be moved in then out to check for burned out bulbs, and one that would not be so dim in the night position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF SMT JET DECLARED EMER AND 'BLEW THE LNDG GEAR DOWN' AFTER THE FLC COULD NOT GET A 'GEAR DOWN' SAFE INDICATION LIGHT.

Narrative: ON NOV/FRI/92 I WAS FLYING AN SMT JET FROM GRR TO MDW TO DROP PAX AND RETURN GRR EMPTY. I MADE THE 31L ILS APCH BREAKING OFF TO LAND 22R. ON BASE LEG, I DROPPED THE GEAR AND WE RECEIVED NO GREEN LIGHTS FOR A SAFE GEAR, MY COMMENT: WHERE IS THE DAY/NIGHT LIGHT SWITCH? WHILE LOOKING FOR AND TURNING IT ON THE FO PULLED THE GEAR INDICATOR (WITH IDEA OF CHKING BULBS). HE COULD NOT GET IT OUT OR BACK IN. NOW TURNING FINAL, I TOLD MDW TWR WE HAD A GEAR PROBLEM AND REQUESTED R TFC WHICH WAS APPROVED. AT THIS POINT FO FLEW ACFT AND I TRIED TO RESET GEAR INDICATOR WITH NO SUCCESS. ON DOWNWIND LEG WE TRIED ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS, DAY/NIGHT SWITCH, STILL NO GREEN LIGHTS ON INDICATOR WHICH WE COULD NOT REMOVE OR RESET. I LOWERED THE GEAR AND TOLD MDW TWR WE WOULD LIKE A LOW APCH TO CHK THE GEAR. AFTER THIS, THE TWR RPTED ALL 3 GEAR APPEARED NORMAL. ON DOWNWIND LEG, STILL NO SAFE OR UNSAFE INDICATION SO I DID THE EMER PROC AND BLEW THE GEAR. LNDG WAS NORMAL AND NO MORE PROBLEMS. TALKED WITH HOME MAINT ON TELEPHONE AND DECISION MADE TO FLY HOME WITH GEAR DOWN. APPROX HALFWAY HOME, WE WERE ABLE TO GET INDICATOR RESET AND IT SHOWED 3 GREEN SAFE GEAR. SINCE IT HAD BEEN BLOWN, WE LEFT IT DOWN AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CAUSE: I BELIEVE, PULLING SWITCH BEFORE CHKING DAY/NIGHT SWITCH, ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS AND A BETTER SWITCH FOR THE GEAR THAT COULD BE MOVED IN THEN OUT TO CHK FOR BURNED OUT BULBS, AND ONE THAT WOULD NOT BE SO DIM IN THE NIGHT POS.

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.

Captain of small transport jet declared emergency and 'blew the landing gear down' after the flight crew could not get a 'gear down' safe indication light.