Narrative:

On final approach to runway 4R ILS, prior to marker 'gear down final descent' checklist called for. Nose gear light did not illuminate. I then executed a go around. I asked for delay vectors next. At altitude, I extended the gear and proceeded to change the bulbs in the nose gear. Once changed, the gear green light illuminated and the red in transit gear lights operated indicating a good indication. We retracted the gear and got back into the approach sequence at boston. Commenced the second approach on runway 4R at boston, placed gear down outside of OM. The green nose gear light worked for about 2 seconds, then a bright blue flash appeared, followed by the light extinguished. Again the red gear in transit light cycled for gear extension verification. I chose to execute a second go around and asked for delay vectors again. The passenger were given their second PA at this time. We then notified our dispatch and air carrier maintenance and had a conversation. Air carrier maintenance had us cycle 2 circuit breakers and we changed the bulbs again. I had the flight engineer check the nose gear view port for further verification. The nose gear indicated down and locked from the viewport. We left the gear down and commenced a low approach and fly-by to boston ILS runway 4R approach. Tower also indicated that the gear appeared to be extended (all 3 gear). I then executed a go around. We had emergency equipment standing by at boston. We then made another PA announcement. We followed with a successful approach and landing at bos ILS runway 4R. The emergency equipment escorted us to our gate. Before passenger deplanement, we pinned all landing gear. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B727-200 and the fault found with the nose gear green light was glass and remnant of a broken bulb jamming the light socket.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON APCH AT 1700 FT HAD THE NOSE GEAR GREEN SAFE LIGHT FAIL. GEAR VISUALLY CHKED DOWN AND LOCKED AND LANDED NORMALLY.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 4R ILS, PRIOR TO MARKER 'GEAR DOWN FINAL DSCNT' CHKLIST CALLED FOR. NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. I THEN EXECUTED A GAR. I ASKED FOR DELAY VECTORS NEXT. AT ALT, I EXTENDED THE GEAR AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE THE BULBS IN THE NOSE GEAR. ONCE CHANGED, THE GEAR GREEN LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE RED IN TRANSIT GEAR LIGHTS OPERATED INDICATING A GOOD INDICATION. WE RETRACTED THE GEAR AND GOT BACK INTO THE APCH SEQUENCE AT BOSTON. COMMENCED THE SECOND APCH ON RWY 4R AT BOSTON, PLACED GEAR DOWN OUTSIDE OF OM. THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT WORKED FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, THEN A BRIGHT BLUE FLASH APPEARED, FOLLOWED BY THE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. AGAIN THE RED GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT CYCLED FOR GEAR EXTENSION VERIFICATION. I CHOSE TO EXECUTE A SECOND GAR AND ASKED FOR DELAY VECTORS AGAIN. THE PAX WERE GIVEN THEIR SECOND PA AT THIS TIME. WE THEN NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH AND ACR MAINT AND HAD A CONVERSATION. ACR MAINT HAD US CYCLE 2 CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND WE CHANGED THE BULBS AGAIN. I HAD THE FE CHK THE NOSE GEAR VIEW PORT FOR FURTHER VERIFICATION. THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED FROM THE VIEWPORT. WE LEFT THE GEAR DOWN AND COMMENCED A LOW APCH AND FLY-BY TO BOSTON ILS RWY 4R APCH. TWR ALSO INDICATED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED (ALL 3 GEAR). I THEN EXECUTED A GAR. WE HAD EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AT BOSTON. WE THEN MADE ANOTHER PA ANNOUNCEMENT. WE FOLLOWED WITH A SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG AT BOS ILS RWY 4R. THE EMER EQUIP ESCORTED US TO OUR GATE. BEFORE PAX DEPLANEMENT, WE PINNED ALL LNDG GEAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B727-200 AND THE FAULT FOUND WITH THE NOSE GEAR GREEN LIGHT WAS GLASS AND REMNANT OF A BROKEN BULB JAMMING THE LIGHT SOCKET.

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.