Narrative:

On descent to psp either by distraction or oversight the hydraulic pumps were not turned to high. This was the first time into psp for me and the first officer and we were preoccupied with the terrain and the approach. As the descent continued, the ride got to be moderate chop, light turbulence with LLWS reported near the mountains. We were cleared for the visual to runway 31R. The mechanic checklist was down to the gear. When the gear was called for, the nose gear would not extend. I commanded a go around, and asked for holding at trm. I had never experienced this before and suspected a stuck nose gear. The recent incident at jfk came to mind. I monitored the flying and worked the radio until the situation was stable. The first officer (who has 4 months on the aircraft) and I (just over a yr) had not seen this before and we both suspected a mechanical problem. When I got the book out, I was looking at gear door down light on, and main gear down. The first procedure I came to was, gear door open left, right gear green. I must have overlooked the nose gear green, and proceeded with the list, which brings you to the alternate extension procedure. We accomplished the checklist and got what I was looking for, 3 green light and nose gear pin up in cockpit. The ride at this time was still rough, and I wanted to get the aircraft on the ground. I now believed we could return to psp for a safe landing. Since the problem was solved, we stopped looking for a cause, and started back to the airport. The landing was uneventful until I took control and the first officer noticed the hydraulic switches were in low. He returned them to high and the system was back to normal. I felt it was safe to taxi to gate. I inspected the aircraft and also spoke to the mechanic. The door scrubs got only light runway contact and was returned to service. After much thought and a sleepless night, I cannot explain why the first officer and I did not suspect the hydraulic system. We headed down the wrong path that thankfully ended safely. In reviewing the descent checklist, I noticed that if you miss the pumps at FL180 your next indication is no nose gear. Perhaps hydraulic could be added to the mechanical checklist with the gear, ie, hydraulic and gear. Also that the first checklist that you come to is the one for this problem. If any other information is needed, please call. I'll be more than happy to fill in the blanks. This experience shows how easily things can go downhill.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS AN MD80 APCHS PSP, THE FLC EXTENDS ITS LNDG GEAR AND THE NOSE GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND. FLC PERFORMS IRREGULAR PROC CHKLIST TO GET THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. NOSE GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND BECAUSE THE FLC DIDN'T COMPLETE AN EARLIER CHKLIST WHICH WOULD HAVE HAD THEM TURN HYD PUMPS TO HIGH.

Narrative: ON DSCNT TO PSP EITHER BY DISTR OR OVERSIGHT THE HYD PUMPS WERE NOT TURNED TO HIGH. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME INTO PSP FOR ME AND THE FO AND WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE TERRAIN AND THE APCH. AS THE DSCNT CONTINUED, THE RIDE GOT TO BE MODERATE CHOP, LIGHT TURB WITH LLWS RPTED NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 31R. THE MECH CHKLIST WAS DOWN TO THE GEAR. WHEN THE GEAR WAS CALLED FOR, THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. I COMMANDED A GAR, AND ASKED FOR HOLDING AT TRM. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE AND SUSPECTED A STUCK NOSE GEAR. THE RECENT INCIDENT AT JFK CAME TO MIND. I MONITORED THE FLYING AND WORKED THE RADIO UNTIL THE SIT WAS STABLE. THE FO (WHO HAS 4 MONTHS ON THE ACFT) AND I (JUST OVER A YR) HAD NOT SEEN THIS BEFORE AND WE BOTH SUSPECTED A MECHANICAL PROB. WHEN I GOT THE BOOK OUT, I WAS LOOKING AT GEAR DOOR DOWN LIGHT ON, AND MAIN GEAR DOWN. THE FIRST PROC I CAME TO WAS, GEAR DOOR OPEN L, R GEAR GREEN. I MUST HAVE OVERLOOKED THE NOSE GEAR GREEN, AND PROCEEDED WITH THE LIST, WHICH BRINGS YOU TO THE ALTERNATE EXTENSION PROC. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE CHKLIST AND GOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, 3 GREEN LIGHT AND NOSE GEAR PIN UP IN COCKPIT. THE RIDE AT THIS TIME WAS STILL ROUGH, AND I WANTED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND. I NOW BELIEVED WE COULD RETURN TO PSP FOR A SAFE LNDG. SINCE THE PROB WAS SOLVED, WE STOPPED LOOKING FOR A CAUSE, AND STARTED BACK TO THE ARPT. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I TOOK CTL AND THE FO NOTICED THE HYD SWITCHES WERE IN LOW. HE RETURNED THEM TO HIGH AND THE SYS WAS BACK TO NORMAL. I FELT IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI TO GATE. I INSPECTED THE ACFT AND ALSO SPOKE TO THE MECH. THE DOOR SCRUBS GOT ONLY LIGHT RWY CONTACT AND WAS RETURNED TO SVC. AFTER MUCH THOUGHT AND A SLEEPLESS NIGHT, I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY THE FO AND I DID NOT SUSPECT THE HYD SYS. WE HEADED DOWN THE WRONG PATH THAT THANKFULLY ENDED SAFELY. IN REVIEWING THE DSCNT CHKLIST, I NOTICED THAT IF YOU MISS THE PUMPS AT FL180 YOUR NEXT INDICATION IS NO NOSE GEAR. PERHAPS HYD COULD BE ADDED TO THE MECHANICAL CHKLIST WITH THE GEAR, IE, HYD AND GEAR. ALSO THAT THE FIRST CHKLIST THAT YOU COME TO IS THE ONE FOR THIS PROB. IF ANY OTHER INFO IS NEEDED, PLEASE CALL. I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FILL IN THE BLANKS. THIS EXPERIENCE SHOWS HOW EASILY THINGS CAN GO DOWNHILL.

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.