Narrative:

On final approach gear was lowered. Nose gear did not extend, maintenance gear extended normally. Iad tower confirmed that the nose gear was not down. A go around was flown and the landing gear was cycled with the same results. The abnormal procedures for manual gear extension were completed. The nose gear extended but the red nose gear light remained illuminated -- the green light was not illuminated. The nose gear viewer was obscured by moisture. The gear down lock position indicators could not be seen. Another approach was flown for a visual check by the tower. The tower observed that the nose gear appeared to be down. An emergency was declared. The emergency checklist for partial or gear up landing was completed. The passenger were briefed for a precautionary emergency landing and evacuate/evacuation. Another approach to a 40 degree flap landing was flown. The landing was normal, the aircraft was stopped on a high speed taxiway. Maintenance was unable to 'pin' the gear -- the gear pin holes were not aligned. The passenger were deplaned, the aircraft jacked, the drag link knocked into the full down and locked position. The nose gear was pinned and the aircraft towed to the gate. The nose gear lock actuator had failed and the actuator rod had jammed between the drag link and aft bulkhead. The drag link could not move the final distance to 'down and locked.' the event was a tremendous opportunity to practice CRM. The skills being taught by my company were an invaluable resource. The lessons learned, and hopefully passed on, are: 1) set priorities -- don't run out of fuel while you're trying to get a green light. Sometimes that light isn't going to come on. 2) delegate -- you have a lot of interested parties both on board the aircraft and on the ground that need information. 3) have confidence in the training you've received, your crew and yourself. CRM -- it works! Use it!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 ACFT ON APCH HAD A NOSE GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION. FLC FLEW BY THE TWR WHO RPTED THE NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WHILE THE FLC USED ABNORMAL PROCS TO LOWER THE GEAR.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH GEAR WAS LOWERED. NOSE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND, MAINT GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY. IAD TWR CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. A GAR WAS FLOWN AND THE LNDG GEAR WAS CYCLED WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE ABNORMAL PROCS FOR MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION WERE COMPLETED. THE NOSE GEAR EXTENDED BUT THE RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED -- THE GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE NOSE GEAR VIEWER WAS OBSCURED BY MOISTURE. THE GEAR DOWN LOCK POS INDICATORS COULD NOT BE SEEN. ANOTHER APCH WAS FLOWN FOR A VISUAL CHK BY THE TWR. THE TWR OBSERVED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE EMER CHKLIST FOR PARTIAL OR GEAR UP LNDG WAS COMPLETED. THE PAX WERE BRIEFED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG AND EVAC. ANOTHER APCH TO A 40 DEG FLAP LNDG WAS FLOWN. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON A HIGH SPD TXWY. MAINT WAS UNABLE TO 'PIN' THE GEAR -- THE GEAR PIN HOLES WERE NOT ALIGNED. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED, THE ACFT JACKED, THE DRAG LINK KNOCKED INTO THE FULL DOWN AND LOCKED POS. THE NOSE GEAR WAS PINNED AND THE ACFT TOWED TO THE GATE. THE NOSE GEAR LOCK ACTUATOR HAD FAILED AND THE ACTUATOR ROD HAD JAMMED BTWN THE DRAG LINK AND AFT BULKHEAD. THE DRAG LINK COULD NOT MOVE THE FINAL DISTANCE TO 'DOWN AND LOCKED.' THE EVENT WAS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE CRM. THE SKILLS BEING TAUGHT BY MY COMPANY WERE AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE. THE LESSONS LEARNED, AND HOPEFULLY PASSED ON, ARE: 1) SET PRIORITIES -- DON'T RUN OUT OF FUEL WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET A GREEN LIGHT. SOMETIMES THAT LIGHT ISN'T GOING TO COME ON. 2) DELEGATE -- YOU HAVE A LOT OF INTERESTED PARTIES BOTH ON BOARD THE ACFT AND ON THE GND THAT NEED INFO. 3) HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE TRAINING YOU'VE RECEIVED, YOUR CREW AND YOURSELF. CRM -- IT WORKS! USE IT!

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.