Narrative:

On flight #abc from abq to row, the crew noticed that the gear handle 'gear in transit' annunciator illuminated. The crew cycled the gear handle and the annunciator extinguished. The flight ended safely and worked as it should. Another flight (#def) passed. On the next flight, (#ghi) abq to fmn, the same annunciator illuminated on the climb out after a normal gear retraction, about 7 mins after takeoff. The crew visually verified that the left main gear was 1/4 extended and the right main was fully retracted. Again, the crew attempted 3 cycles of the landing gear handle. No sound of gear motor was heard, no electrical load on the generators dc, and all circuit breakers were in. On the third attempt, left main landing gear slowly moved down to 3/4 extended. The crew decided to execute the 'manual gear extension' abnormal checklist, about 46 mi from fmn. The crew advised tower for assistance and to have crash fire rescue equipment services standing by. After completing the checklist, we confirmed a gear down and locked indication and the 'in transit' annunciator extinguished. We maintained speed less than vle and vlo for the entire flight. We overflew tower and verified gear was down with controllers and landed safely in fmn, NM. I believe having noticed the 'in transit' gear annunciator on flight #abc, I should have stopped operating the aircraft. Since there is no procedure for such an occurrence and it was momentary, and operated fine for another flight, we decided to continue normal operations. My judgement on this will change in the future. If I notice any abnormality in any system, I will discontinue operations until I am sure the problem is solved, even if there is no procedure for it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B1900-D CREW, ON APCH TO FMN, EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE L LNDG GEAR TO EXTEND PROPERLY.

Narrative: ON FLT #ABC FROM ABQ TO ROW, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE 'GEAR IN TRANSIT' ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CREW CYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE AND THE ANNUNCIATOR EXTINGUISHED. THE FLT ENDED SAFELY AND WORKED AS IT SHOULD. ANOTHER FLT (#DEF) PASSED. ON THE NEXT FLT, (#GHI) ABQ TO FMN, THE SAME ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE CLBOUT AFTER A NORMAL GEAR RETRACTION, ABOUT 7 MINS AFTER TKOF. THE CREW VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT THE L MAIN GEAR WAS 1/4 EXTENDED AND THE R MAIN WAS FULLY RETRACTED. AGAIN, THE CREW ATTEMPTED 3 CYCLES OF THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE. NO SOUND OF GEAR MOTOR WAS HEARD, NO ELECTRICAL LOAD ON THE GENERATORS DC, AND ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE IN. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, L MAIN LNDG GEAR SLOWLY MOVED DOWN TO 3/4 EXTENDED. THE CREW DECIDED TO EXECUTE THE 'MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION' ABNORMAL CHKLIST, ABOUT 46 MI FROM FMN. THE CREW ADVISED TWR FOR ASSISTANCE AND TO HAVE CFR SVCS STANDING BY. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, WE CONFIRMED A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION AND THE 'IN TRANSIT' ANNUNCIATOR EXTINGUISHED. WE MAINTAINED SPD LESS THAN VLE AND VLO FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. WE OVERFLEW TWR AND VERIFIED GEAR WAS DOWN WITH CTLRS AND LANDED SAFELY IN FMN, NM. I BELIEVE HAVING NOTICED THE 'IN TRANSIT' GEAR ANNUNCIATOR ON FLT #ABC, I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED OPERATING THE ACFT. SINCE THERE IS NO PROC FOR SUCH AN OCCURRENCE AND IT WAS MOMENTARY, AND OPERATED FINE FOR ANOTHER FLT, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE NORMAL OPS. MY JUDGEMENT ON THIS WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. IF I NOTICE ANY ABNORMALITY IN ANY SYS, I WILL DISCONTINUE OPS UNTIL I AM SURE THE PROB IS SOLVED, EVEN IF THERE IS NO PROC FOR 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.