Aircraft equipment problem nose gear stuck partially up.

Attributes
ACN	318620
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : missed approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	318620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	318621
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While landing at iah, at 1500 ft MSL on final runway 27, when we put down landing gear, nose got stuck 1/2 way down. Cycled gear while on final, no change. Flew by tower they confirmed nose gear was not down. Red unsafe light and horn on throttles. Climb to 2000 ft, heading 090 degrees. Retracted gear, went to emergency procedure manual nose gear extension. Tried twice, still nose gear was unsafe. Also knew the nose was not down because air noise in cockpit was very loud due to the nose gear doors still being open. We told ATC at this time which was approximately 5 mins after our map that we were declaring an emergency. Also that we wanted to climb to 6000 ft, have block 6000 ft to 2000 ft and head south. They ok'd it. Also told them we were going to try one more thing, a shallow dive, pullout and accelerate to 270 KTS and then lower nose gear manually. This procedure cleared problem. Came back to iah, landed. No incident. Taxied to gate and deplaned. The procedure we tried was not in our company QRH. We just thought it might work due to the fact the nose gear retracts up into the slip stream. If we had not tried this the normal and manual extension gear didn't work we would have had to land with our nose gear stuck halfway down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB NOSE GEAR STUCK PARTIALLY UP.

Narrative: WHILE LNDG AT IAH, AT 1500 FT MSL ON FINAL RWY 27, WHEN WE PUT DOWN LNDG GEAR, NOSE GOT STUCK 1/2 WAY DOWN. CYCLED GEAR WHILE ON FINAL, NO CHANGE. FLEW BY TWR THEY CONFIRMED NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. RED UNSAFE LIGHT AND HORN ON THROTTLES. CLB TO 2000 FT, HDG 090 DEGS. RETRACTED GEAR, WENT TO EMER PROC MANUAL NOSE GEAR EXTENSION. TRIED TWICE, STILL NOSE GEAR WAS UNSAFE. ALSO KNEW THE NOSE WAS NOT DOWN BECAUSE AIR NOISE IN COCKPIT WAS VERY LOUD DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS STILL BEING OPEN. WE TOLD ATC AT THIS TIME WHICH WAS APPROX 5 MINS AFTER OUR MAP THAT WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. ALSO THAT WE WANTED TO CLB TO 6000 FT, HAVE BLOCK 6000 FT TO 2000 FT AND HEAD S. THEY OK'D IT. ALSO TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO TRY ONE MORE THING, A SHALLOW DIVE, PULLOUT AND ACCELERATE TO 270 KTS AND THEN LOWER NOSE GEAR MANUALLY. THIS PROC CLRED PROB. CAME BACK TO IAH, LANDED. NO INCIDENT. TAXIED TO GATE AND DEPLANED. THE PROC WE TRIED WAS NOT IN OUR COMPANY QRH. WE JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT WORK DUE TO THE FACT THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTS UP INTO THE SLIP STREAM. IF WE HAD NOT TRIED THIS THE NORMAL AND MANUAL EXTENSION GEAR DIDN'T WORK WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO LAND WITH OUR NOSE GEAR STUCK HALFWAY 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.