Narrative:

At approximately XA45 on oct/xa/97, I was captain of flight on a saab 340. Service from binghamton, ny, to elmira, ny. My first officer was flying and we were on an approximately 5 mi final to runway 28 when he asked for the gear down. When the gear had cycled there were only the 2 main green lights that illuminated. The nose gear light failed to illuminate. I then recycled the gear up and down twice, and still no nosewheel light. We then performed a go around and climbed to 3500 ft to perform checklists. At the go around we told the tower of the problem and said we would get back with them. Once at 3500 ft we ran the checklists and called maintenance control and our dispatch. We determined it was a burned out light bulb. I asked the tower, as a safety measure if we did a low approach if he could see if my nose gear was down with my taxi light on. By that time we had just replaced the light bulb and we asked if we could be cleared to land, we had all 3 green lights. The gear was down and locked. After landing, and on short approach we noticed 4 or 5 crash fire rescue equipment trucks out by the runway. We never declared an emergency, the controller declared for us. I talked with the tower and asked why they did this, but the person who had done it had left.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR SF340 FLC DOES NOT INITIALLY GET A GREEN LIGHT ON THEIR NOSE GEAR INDICATOR AND THEY GO AROUND AND INFORM THE TWR. A BURNED OUT LIGHT BULB WAS THE PROB AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AFTER THE BULB WAS CHANGED. HOWEVER, THE CAPT SEEMS UNDULY IRRITATED ABOUT THE TWR PERSONNEL ALERTING THE CFR CREWS TO STAND BY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA45 ON OCT/XA/97, I WAS CAPT OF FLT ON A SAAB 340. SERVICE FROM BINGHAMTON, NY, TO ELMIRA, NY. MY FO WAS FLYING AND WE WERE ON AN APPROX 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 28 WHEN HE ASKED FOR THE GEAR DOWN. WHEN THE GEAR HAD CYCLED THERE WERE ONLY THE 2 MAIN GREEN LIGHTS THAT ILLUMINATED. THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. I THEN RECYCLED THE GEAR UP AND DOWN TWICE, AND STILL NO NOSEWHEEL LIGHT. WE THEN PERFORMED A GAR AND CLBED TO 3500 FT TO PERFORM CHKLISTS. AT THE GAR WE TOLD THE TWR OF THE PROB AND SAID WE WOULD GET BACK WITH THEM. ONCE AT 3500 FT WE RAN THE CHKLISTS AND CALLED MAINT CTL AND OUR DISPATCH. WE DETERMINED IT WAS A BURNED OUT LIGHT BULB. I ASKED THE TWR, AS A SAFETY MEASURE IF WE DID A LOW APCH IF HE COULD SEE IF MY NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN WITH MY TAXI LIGHT ON. BY THAT TIME WE HAD JUST REPLACED THE LIGHT BULB AND WE ASKED IF WE COULD BE CLRED TO LAND, WE HAD ALL 3 GREEN LIGHTS. THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER LNDG, AND ON SHORT APCH WE NOTICED 4 OR 5 CFR TRUCKS OUT BY THE RWY. WE NEVER DECLARED AN EMER, THE CTLR DECLARED FOR US. I TALKED WITH THE TWR AND ASKED WHY THEY DID THIS, BUT THE PERSON WHO HAD DONE IT HAD LEFT.

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.