Aircraft equipment problem malfunction is self diagnosed after the event and flight crew now suffers...

Attributes
ACN	262290
Time
Date	199312
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1500 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : buf tower : cps
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 2540 flight time type : 985
ASRS Report	262290
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	262907
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On 1-94, I was advised by my chief pilot that the following incident was being investigated by the FAA. During an approach to buffalo, ny, runway 23, the crew noticed that the green nose gear indication was not illuminated. We were cleared for a low pass and advised that the nose gear was down but complete extension could not be determined. The crew cycled the gear and did another low pass and while doing it, the nose gear green indication came on. We were cleared to land and did so uneventfully. When we initially became aware of a potential landing gear problem, we requested emergency equipment. After the incident, the nose gear was inspected by both crew members and the aircraft was determined to be airworthy. Ice on the microswitch was suspected to have caused the malfunction of the indication. The aircraft was flown and performed normally for the remainder of the day. Supplemental information from acn 26207: after reaching the OM, first officer called for gear down. I noticed no in transit light, then no green nose gear light. I then said 'no nose gear light.' first officer said 'I'll make a low pass then, left traffic back around.' I told the tower I was unsure of the nose gear position. Tower said 'make a low approach and I'll look at it.' I did that and he said 'it appears down.' I raised the gear and this time I got the in transit light on. I told my first officer 'I think it's ice in the squat switch.' we turned downwind and I lowered the gear. Again I got the in transit light on and then the green light. I told the controller after raising the gear that the lights are beginning to work. He was busy calling the fire trucks, and did not answer. He told me that my 'gear appears down' and 'do you want me to declare an emergency?' I saw the trucks leaving the garage and said 'yes, you'd better call out the trucks.' I did not write up the airplane because the second cycle of the gear proved uneventful with the lights working properly and confirming gear position visually in the spinner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION IS SELF DIAGNOSED AFTER THE EVENT AND FLC NOW SUFFERS AN FAA INVESTIGATION OVER POST FLT INSPECTION PROCS BY FLC AFTER NOSE GEAR HAD FAILED TO INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED THE FIRST TIME.

Narrative: ON 1-94, I WAS ADVISED BY MY CHIEF PLT THAT THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FAA. DURING AN APCH TO BUFFALO, NY, RWY 23, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE GREEN NOSE GEAR INDICATION WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. WE WERE CLRED FOR A LOW PASS AND ADVISED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN BUT COMPLETE EXTENSION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE CREW CYCLED THE GEAR AND DID ANOTHER LOW PASS AND WHILE DOING IT, THE NOSE GEAR GREEN INDICATION CAME ON. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND DID SO UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN WE INITIALLY BECAME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL LNDG GEAR PROB, WE REQUESTED EMER EQUIP. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE NOSE GEAR WAS INSPECTED BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS AND THE ACFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AIRWORTHY. ICE ON THE MICROSWITCH WAS SUSPECTED TO HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION OF THE INDICATION. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AND PERFORMED NORMALLY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 26207: AFTER REACHING THE OM, FO CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN. I NOTICED NO IN TRANSIT LIGHT, THEN NO GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT. I THEN SAID 'NO NOSE GEAR LIGHT.' FO SAID 'I'LL MAKE A LOW PASS THEN, LEFT TFC BACK AROUND.' I TOLD THE TWR I WAS UNSURE OF THE NOSE GEAR POS. TWR SAID 'MAKE A LOW APCH AND I'LL LOOK AT IT.' I DID THAT AND HE SAID 'IT APPEARS DOWN.' I RAISED THE GEAR AND THIS TIME I GOT THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT ON. I TOLD MY FO 'I THINK IT'S ICE IN THE SQUAT SWITCH.' WE TURNED DOWNWIND AND I LOWERED THE GEAR. AGAIN I GOT THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT ON AND THEN THE GREEN LIGHT. I TOLD THE CTLR AFTER RAISING THE GEAR THAT THE LIGHTS ARE BEGINNING TO WORK. HE WAS BUSY CALLING THE FIRE TRUCKS, AND DID NOT ANSWER. HE TOLD ME THAT MY 'GEAR APPEARS DOWN' AND 'DO YOU WANT ME TO DECLARE AN EMER?' I SAW THE TRUCKS LEAVING THE GARAGE AND SAID 'YES, YOU'D BETTER CALL OUT THE TRUCKS.' I DID NOT WRITE UP THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE SECOND CYCLE OF THE GEAR PROVED UNEVENTFUL WITH THE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY AND CONFIRMING GEAR POS VISUALLY IN THE SPINNER.

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.

Aircraft equipment problem malfunction is self diagnosed after the event and flight crew now suffers an FAA investigation over post flight inspection procedures by flight crew after nose gear had failed to indicate down and locked the first time.