Narrative:

After taxi to the gate at completion of flight, we were made aware of a landing gear door touching the ground by ramp personnel inspection showed right main fuselage mounted door touching ground, and approximately 12 inches missing. Approach and touchdown were normal. Final landing checks were completed at 500-700 ft AGL. At that time neither I nor the captain observed a 'gear door open' light on and we both feel that we would have seen it if it were on. After shutdown at the gate, the 'gear door open' light was seen to be illuminated, which would be normal. One flight attendant did report hearing a noise, which she thought was 'a tire or something.' operation was at a relatively quiet time and tower controller was also functioning as ground controller. We were never alerted to a gear door being down or dragging the ground during taxi. A check on the runway by airport personnel showed no strike marks or pieces of the gear door until right as we turned off of the runway onto taxiway A4. The captain was busy taxiing the aircraft to the gate and I was busy cleaning up the aircraft and talking to company. So if the 'gear door open' light was on, neither of us observed it. I feel there are 2 more contributing factors. The 'gear door open' light is not wired to the master caution light, and the light position makes it out of direct view during visual - - type approachs. A recent modification to mount wind shear warning and caution lights under the edge of the glare shield effectively blocks the 'gear door open' light from view if seat is adjusted normally. I am firmly convinced that the 'gear door open' light was not illuminated during our landing checks. If it did come on later, it was not readily viewable from my seat position. Maintenance did find a broken bolt on a drag link between the main gear and a door sequencing bell crank. The broken bolt allowed the door to open uncommanded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP DESIGN PROB PREVENTS DETECTION OF ACFT EQUIP MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: AFTER TAXI TO THE GATE AT COMPLETION OF FLT, WE WERE MADE AWARE OF A LNDG GEAR DOOR TOUCHING THE GND BY RAMP PERSONNEL INSPECTION SHOWED R MAIN FUSELAGE MOUNTED DOOR TOUCHING GND, AND APPROX 12 INCHES MISSING. APCH AND TOUCHDOWN WERE NORMAL. FINAL LNDG CHKS WERE COMPLETED AT 500-700 FT AGL. AT THAT TIME NEITHER I NOR THE CAPT OBSERVED A 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT ON AND WE BOTH FEEL THAT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN IT IF IT WERE ON. AFTER SHUTDOWN AT THE GATE, THE 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT WAS SEEN TO BE ILLUMINATED, WHICH WOULD BE NORMAL. ONE FLT ATTENDANT DID RPT HEARING A NOISE, WHICH SHE THOUGHT WAS 'A TIRE OR SOMETHING.' OP WAS AT A RELATIVELY QUIET TIME AND TWR CTLR WAS ALSO FUNCTIONING AS GND CTLR. WE WERE NEVER ALERTED TO A GEAR DOOR BEING DOWN OR DRAGGING THE GND DURING TAXI. A CHK ON THE RWY BY ARPT PERSONNEL SHOWED NO STRIKE MARKS OR PIECES OF THE GEAR DOOR UNTIL RIGHT AS WE TURNED OFF OF THE RWY ONTO TXWY A4. THE CAPT WAS BUSY TAXIING THE ACFT TO THE GATE AND I WAS BUSY CLEANING UP THE ACFT AND TALKING TO COMPANY. SO IF THE 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT WAS ON, NEITHER OF US OBSERVED IT. I FEEL THERE ARE 2 MORE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THE 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT IS NOT WIRED TO THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT, AND THE LIGHT POS MAKES IT OUT OF DIRECT VIEW DURING VISUAL - - TYPE APCHS. A RECENT MODIFICATION TO MOUNT WIND SHEAR WARNING AND CAUTION LIGHTS UNDER THE EDGE OF THE GLARE SHIELD EFFECTIVELY BLOCKS THE 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT FROM VIEW IF SEAT IS ADJUSTED NORMALLY. I AM FIRMLY CONVINCED THAT THE 'GEAR DOOR OPEN' LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED DURING OUR LNDG CHKS. IF IT DID COME ON LATER, IT WAS NOT READILY VIEWABLE FROM MY SEAT POS. MAINT DID FIND A BROKEN BOLT ON A DRAG LINK BTWN THE MAIN GEAR AND A DOOR SEQUENCING BELL CRANK. THE BROKEN BOLT ALLOWED THE DOOR TO OPEN UNCOMMANDED.

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.