Narrative:

Approach was being made to cle in fairly rapidly deteriorating WX conditions associated with frontal passage. Approach was normal (except my flight director was not working normally) and called for 'gear down, flaps 25 degrees on the landing check.' I and the first officer verified 3 green down and locked lights as per normal checklist procedure. Gear door light was still on when I looked, but this was not abnormal if you look too soon. Called for flaps 40 degrees. Then heard gear horn and we noted the green lights were out and the 3 red gear lights were illuminated. Not sure of the situation, I initiated a missed approach. On downwind, called for the 'unsafe gear, gear handle down' checklist. Hydraulic system normal so checklist called for emergency gear extension lever pull full up and latch. Accomplished procedure and no change in indications so the checklist called for landing gear downlocks check and referred to visual check of landing gear downlocks. First officer proceeded to check nose gear. Reported that because of water drops due to the moderate to heavy rain we were in that he could not see the alignment stripes and could not really see much of anything. Knowing that I could not verify the nose gear down and realizing the WX conditions were deteriorating, I decided to conduct a visual fly-by and get an observation by tower. Tower and an aircraft close to the departure end of runway, both reported gear appeared to be down. Accomplished missed approach leaving gear down. On long downwind had the first officer complete the usual inspection checklist by going back in the cabin and inspecting the main gear. He returned and reported both main gear were down and locked. Continued unsafe gear checklist with 'if gear indicate down and locked, emergency gear extension lever -- stow.' accomplished, then the checklist called if gear door open light is off, continue normal operations. Gear door light was off, but when the first officer pressed to test the light, it would not illuminate. Verified the bulb ok. The 'or' decision of the checklist is 'if gear door open light is on, emergency gear lever full up and latch.' the first officer and I discussed this and we decided the most conservative course of action was to pull full up and latch the emergency gear handle. We informed approach that we would have to stop on the runway until gear was pinned and gear doors closed. Made uneventful landing. Pinned gear, closed doors, and exited runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 LNDG GEAR DID NOT EXTEND NORMALLY. THE LNDG GEAR WAS MANUALLY EXTENDED. ADDITIONAL PROBS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO VERIFY THE NOSE GEAR LOCKED DOWN AND A MALFUNCTIONING GEAR DOOR LIGHT COMPLICATED THE SIT.

Narrative: APCH WAS BEING MADE TO CLE IN FAIRLY RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. APCH WAS NORMAL (EXCEPT MY FLT DIRECTOR WAS NOT WORKING NORMALLY) AND CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN, FLAPS 25 DEGS ON THE LNDG CHK.' I AND THE FO VERIFIED 3 GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS AS PER NORMAL CHKLIST PROC. GEAR DOOR LIGHT WAS STILL ON WHEN I LOOKED, BUT THIS WAS NOT ABNORMAL IF YOU LOOK TOO SOON. CALLED FOR FLAPS 40 DEGS. THEN HEARD GEAR HORN AND WE NOTED THE GREEN LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THE 3 RED GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. NOT SURE OF THE SIT, I INITIATED A MISSED APCH. ON DOWNWIND, CALLED FOR THE 'UNSAFE GEAR, GEAR HANDLE DOWN' CHKLIST. HYD SYS NORMAL SO CHKLIST CALLED FOR EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER PULL FULL UP AND LATCH. ACCOMPLISHED PROC AND NO CHANGE IN INDICATIONS SO THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR LNDG GEAR DOWNLOCKS CHK AND REFERRED TO VISUAL CHK OF LNDG GEAR DOWNLOCKS. FO PROCEEDED TO CHK NOSE GEAR. RPTED THAT BECAUSE OF WATER DROPS DUE TO THE MODERATE TO HVY RAIN WE WERE IN THAT HE COULD NOT SEE THE ALIGNMENT STRIPES AND COULD NOT REALLY SEE MUCH OF ANYTHING. KNOWING THAT I COULD NOT VERIFY THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND REALIZING THE WX CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING, I DECIDED TO CONDUCT A VISUAL FLY-BY AND GET AN OBSERVATION BY TWR. TWR AND AN ACFT CLOSE TO THE DEP END OF RWY, BOTH RPTED GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. ACCOMPLISHED MISSED APCH LEAVING GEAR DOWN. ON LONG DOWNWIND HAD THE FO COMPLETE THE USUAL INSPECTION CHKLIST BY GOING BACK IN THE CABIN AND INSPECTING THE MAIN GEAR. HE RETURNED AND RPTED BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. CONTINUED UNSAFE GEAR CHKLIST WITH 'IF GEAR INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED, EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER -- STOW.' ACCOMPLISHED, THEN THE CHKLIST CALLED IF GEAR DOOR OPEN LIGHT IS OFF, CONTINUE NORMAL OPS. GEAR DOOR LIGHT WAS OFF, BUT WHEN THE FO PRESSED TO TEST THE LIGHT, IT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. VERIFIED THE BULB OK. THE 'OR' DECISION OF THE CHKLIST IS 'IF GEAR DOOR OPEN LIGHT IS ON, EMER GEAR LEVER FULL UP AND LATCH.' THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THIS AND WE DECIDED THE MOST CONSERVATIVE COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO PULL FULL UP AND LATCH THE EMER GEAR HANDLE. WE INFORMED APCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP ON THE RWY UNTIL GEAR WAS PINNED AND GEAR DOORS CLOSED. MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG. PINNED GEAR, CLOSED DOORS, AND EXITED RWY.

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.