Narrative:

En route flight pit-pbi we noticed on takeoff a slight shimmy that we associated with an eccentric nose wheel or missing scrubber. The shimmy did not disappear and we suspected a nosewheel that was either down or not all the way up. We tested the light for the nose down and locked and found it would not light. We used the light test and it was still inoperative. We switched bulbs from a light we knew would work and it still would not test. We consulted the aircraft manual for help and found no applicable procedure or system explanation to help. We were en route to pbi with a planned fuel load of 8.4 at arrival. We did not want to arrive at pbi with the problem and decision to make of finding a longer runway at fll or mia with a small fuel load. We diverted to clt when upon lowering the gear, the nose gear down and locked green light went on. We did a fly-by and the copilot looked through the nose gear viewer and determined the gear was down and locked. Manual landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a lot of time was used up in the futile exercise in attempting to get a light on the nose gear and changing light bulbs and testing the system. They had climbed out at reduced speed, 280 KTS, and stopped climb at FL230 and were past charleston before they knew it. Reporter learned later from the mechanics at clt that this aircraft was scheduled in the near future to have the wire bundle for the nose gear that runs up to the cannon plug changed. He didn't know why or when, but the company ground personnel stated that it was a defective bundle and that is why there was such difficulty in getting any nose gear signal at all until after the gear was placed down. Aircraft was a B-737-400.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-737-400 HAS ACFT EQUIP PROB, DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: ENRTE FLT PIT-PBI WE NOTICED ON TKOF A SLIGHT SHIMMY THAT WE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ECCENTRIC NOSE WHEEL OR MISSING SCRUBBER. THE SHIMMY DID NOT DISAPPEAR AND WE SUSPECTED A NOSEWHEEL THAT WAS EITHER DOWN OR NOT ALL THE WAY UP. WE TESTED THE LIGHT FOR THE NOSE DOWN AND LOCKED AND FOUND IT WOULD NOT LIGHT. WE USED THE LIGHT TEST AND IT WAS STILL INOP. WE SWITCHED BULBS FROM A LIGHT WE KNEW WOULD WORK AND IT STILL WOULD NOT TEST. WE CONSULTED THE ACFT MANUAL FOR HELP AND FOUND NO APPLICABLE PROC OR SYS EXPLANATION TO HELP. WE WERE ENRTE TO PBI WITH A PLANNED FUEL LOAD OF 8.4 AT ARR. WE DID NOT WANT TO ARRIVE AT PBI WITH THE PROB AND DECISION TO MAKE OF FINDING A LONGER RWY AT FLL OR MIA WITH A SMALL FUEL LOAD. WE DIVERTED TO CLT WHEN UPON LOWERING THE GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED GREEN LIGHT WENT ON. WE DID A FLY-BY AND THE COPLT LOOKED THROUGH THE NOSE GEAR VIEWER AND DETERMINED THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. MANUAL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A LOT OF TIME WAS USED UP IN THE FUTILE EXERCISE IN ATTEMPTING TO GET A LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR AND CHANGING LIGHT BULBS AND TESTING THE SYS. THEY HAD CLBED OUT AT REDUCED SPD, 280 KTS, AND STOPPED CLB AT FL230 AND WERE PAST CHARLESTON BEFORE THEY KNEW IT. RPTR LEARNED LATER FROM THE MECHS AT CLT THAT THIS ACFT WAS SCHEDULED IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO HAVE THE WIRE BUNDLE FOR THE NOSE GEAR THAT RUNS UP TO THE CANNON PLUG CHANGED. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY OR WHEN, BUT THE CGP STATED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE BUNDLE AND THAT IS WHY THERE WAS SUCH DIFFICULTY IN GETTING ANY NOSE GEAR SIGNAL AT ALL UNTIL AFTER THE GEAR WAS PLACED DOWN. ACFT WAS A B-737-400.

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.