PA44 pilot has unsafe gear indication during landing at ues.

Attributes
ACN	579989
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ues.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1900 msl single value : 911
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ues.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : ues.tower
Make Model Name	Dassault-Breguet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground : taxi landing : roll
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1249 flight time type : 277
ASRS Report	579989
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear indication other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon entering a right downwind for runway 10, I lowered the gear, however: 1) saw no green lights, 2) the sound of the gear going down wasn't normal, 3) there seemed to be interference with the flight controls wanting to always roll left. I informed the tower, after recycling the gear with the same results. I asked tower for a low pass to confirm the mains were down and straight. I had by then tried the emergency gear procedure as well with the same results. After the second low pass, tower indicated the mains looked ok, but nosewheel seemed in-transit -- not fully down. Another pilot of a falcon which had just landed agreed with the tower, and my own view of the nosewheel in the mirror told me the same story. Tower asked for my intentions. My response was to land. Tower said fine, that they would need 5 mins or so for the equipment. I elected to land on runway 10 even though wind was 160 degrees at 10 KTS, as I wanted the longer runway to execute my plan for the landing. As I concluded the nosewheel and steering system must be broken or some other way rendered not normal, and that the nose would collapse on landing, my plan was to feather both motors before touchdown to save the motors from sudden stoppage. The landing went as planned. The nose did not collapse. I made a turnoff, got out of the plane, and checked the gear. It seemed fine -- down and locked. The plane shook a lot while decelerating, like a cessna with a bad nosewheel shimmy. Further: gear in-transit/unsafe light was on while trying to sort out problem. Navigation light switch was found to be on by mechanics after plane was towed in. I did not turn them on for the flight. I also did not refer to the checklist -- had I, I would have checked that switch. Maybe the green lights would have been on, but that doesn't address the other indicators of 1) visual confirmation by people of nosewheel not down, 2) control interference, and 3) the gear unsafe light being on. Corrective actions: use emergency checklist, otherwise same as I did. FAA was there -- conducted an interview, reviewed docs on my person and in plane. Found all to be in order. Was complimentary of my addressing the situation -- so was tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA44 PLT HAS UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION DURING LNDG AT UES.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10, I LOWERED THE GEAR, HOWEVER: 1) SAW NO GREEN LIGHTS, 2) THE SOUND OF THE GEAR GOING DOWN WASN'T NORMAL, 3) THERE SEEMED TO BE INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLT CTLS WANTING TO ALWAYS ROLL L. I INFORMED THE TWR, AFTER RECYCLING THE GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I ASKED TWR FOR A LOW PASS TO CONFIRM THE MAINS WERE DOWN AND STRAIGHT. I HAD BY THEN TRIED THE EMER GEAR PROC AS WELL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. AFTER THE SECOND LOW PASS, TWR INDICATED THE MAINS LOOKED OK, BUT NOSEWHEEL SEEMED IN-TRANSIT -- NOT FULLY DOWN. ANOTHER PLT OF A FALCON WHICH HAD JUST LANDED AGREED WITH THE TWR, AND MY OWN VIEW OF THE NOSEWHEEL IN THE MIRROR TOLD ME THE SAME STORY. TWR ASKED FOR MY INTENTIONS. MY RESPONSE WAS TO LAND. TWR SAID FINE, THAT THEY WOULD NEED 5 MINS OR SO FOR THE EQUIP. I ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 10 EVEN THOUGH WIND WAS 160 DEGS AT 10 KTS, AS I WANTED THE LONGER RWY TO EXECUTE MY PLAN FOR THE LNDG. AS I CONCLUDED THE NOSEWHEEL AND STEERING SYS MUST BE BROKEN OR SOME OTHER WAY RENDERED NOT NORMAL, AND THAT THE NOSE WOULD COLLAPSE ON LNDG, MY PLAN WAS TO FEATHER BOTH MOTORS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN TO SAVE THE MOTORS FROM SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE LNDG WENT AS PLANNED. THE NOSE DID NOT COLLAPSE. I MADE A TURNOFF, GOT OUT OF THE PLANE, AND CHKED THE GEAR. IT SEEMED FINE -- DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PLANE SHOOK A LOT WHILE DECELERATING, LIKE A CESSNA WITH A BAD NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY. FURTHER: GEAR IN-TRANSIT/UNSAFE LIGHT WAS ON WHILE TRYING TO SORT OUT PROB. NAV LIGHT SWITCH WAS FOUND TO BE ON BY MECHS AFTER PLANE WAS TOWED IN. I DID NOT TURN THEM ON FOR THE FLT. I ALSO DID NOT REFER TO THE CHKLIST -- HAD I, I WOULD HAVE CHKED THAT SWITCH. MAYBE THE GREEN LIGHTS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON, BUT THAT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE OTHER INDICATORS OF 1) VISUAL CONFIRMATION BY PEOPLE OF NOSEWHEEL NOT DOWN, 2) CTL INTERFERENCE, AND 3) THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT BEING ON. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: USE EMER CHKLIST, OTHERWISE SAME AS I DID. FAA WAS THERE -- CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW, REVIEWED DOCS ON MY PERSON AND IN PLANE. FOUND ALL TO BE IN ORDER. WAS COMPLIMENTARY OF MY ADDRESSING THE SIT -- SO WAS TWR.

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.