Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 28R into pit airport in VMC. At approximately 1200 ft AGL, the landing gear was called for and selected to the down position. When the landing gear was verified, the left main gear light was not illuminated (it was not green). At this point, I decided to advise pit tower of our situation and intentions to proceed inbound for a low pass, followed by a go around and then delayed vectors to allow us time to run the appropriate checklists. Before switching us to departure, tower advised us that from the tower and additionally from an aircraft holding short of the runway, that our left main gear appeared to be in the down and locked position. When contacting departure, they cleared us to hold over elwood city VOR and we proceeded toward it. I began the QRH for the gear down unsafe condition checklist. The checklist called for us to recycle the landing gear in order to verify that the yellow transit light was functioning normally. After recycling the gear 3 times, it was verified that transit light was functioning properly. In addition, we verified that the hydraulic pump's automatic function turned off after the landing gear was selected down with the transit light out. This automatic function is supposed to turn off when the left main gear is down and locked and it did. After reaching 'end of procedure' in the checklist, dispatch was notified of the situation, and we were then xferred to maintenance control to consult with them on our situation. They reviewed the QRH procedure with us to verify its completion. Additionally, they asked if our hydraulic pump was off (at this point the gear was in the down position) and again we verified that the pump was off. Lastly, maintenance had us stand by while they checked to see if there were any other operational checks that could be performed. While we stood by on the radio, I notified the flight attendant and the passenger of our situation. After that, we attempted to check the light bulbs but were unsuccessful. Dispatch/maintenance radioed back advising us that the landing gear should be down and locked. Additionally, they advised us to land in pit, declare an emergency, and request emergency equipment to stand by, which we agreed would be appropriate for the given situation. Lastly, our fuel on board was verified at approximately 900-1000 pounds. We advised ATC of our situation and declared an emergency. With the winds being light out of the southwest, we accepted a visual approach to runway 28R. On final approach, I checked with the flight attendant to verify that the cabin was secure for landing. Additionally, I asked tower to once again verify that our left main gear was in the down and locked position. He again said that it was. We also verified that the landing confign warning did not alert on final, which receives information from the left main gear down lock switch. It did not go off. Lastly, we took the appropriate safety precautions on landing and rollout, and we were prepared for a possible left main gear collapse. After clearing the runway, all indications led me to believe that we could safely taxi to the gate with an emergency vehicle escort. Once parked at the gate, the passenger were deplaned and dispatch, maintenance, and the chief pilot were notified. Our company's procedure is to check spare light bulbs as part of the preflight inspection. This check had not been accomplished. If it would have been, the correct light bulbs would have been present and could have possibly replaced the faulty bulbs giving us the faulty indication. I now make sure that this preflight check is done as part of my acceptance check of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF-34 CREW DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE THE L LNDG GEAR GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE GREEN GEAR LIGHT BULB WAS BURNED OUT AND FLC HAD NO EXTRA BULBS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R INTO PIT ARPT IN VMC. AT APPROX 1200 FT AGL, THE LNDG GEAR WAS CALLED FOR AND SELECTED TO THE DOWN POS. WHEN THE LNDG GEAR WAS VERIFIED, THE L MAIN GEAR LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED (IT WAS NOT GREEN). AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO ADVISE PIT TWR OF OUR SIT AND INTENTIONS TO PROCEED INBOUND FOR A LOW PASS, FOLLOWED BY A GAR AND THEN DELAYED VECTORS TO ALLOW US TIME TO RUN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. BEFORE SWITCHING US TO DEP, TWR ADVISED US THAT FROM THE TWR AND ADDITIONALLY FROM AN ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY, THAT OUR L MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO BE IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS. WHEN CONTACTING DEP, THEY CLRED US TO HOLD OVER ELWOOD CITY VOR AND WE PROCEEDED TOWARD IT. I BEGAN THE QRH FOR THE GEAR DOWN UNSAFE CONDITION CHKLIST. THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR US TO RECYCLE THE LNDG GEAR IN ORDER TO VERIFY THAT THE YELLOW TRANSIT LIGHT WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. AFTER RECYCLING THE GEAR 3 TIMES, IT WAS VERIFIED THAT TRANSIT LIGHT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IN ADDITION, WE VERIFIED THAT THE HYD PUMP'S AUTO FUNCTION TURNED OFF AFTER THE LNDG GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN WITH THE TRANSIT LIGHT OUT. THIS AUTO FUNCTION IS SUPPOSED TO TURN OFF WHEN THE L MAIN GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED AND IT DID. AFTER REACHING 'END OF PROC' IN THE CHKLIST, DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT, AND WE WERE THEN XFERRED TO MAINT CTL TO CONSULT WITH THEM ON OUR SIT. THEY REVIEWED THE QRH PROC WITH US TO VERIFY ITS COMPLETION. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ASKED IF OUR HYD PUMP WAS OFF (AT THIS POINT THE GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POS) AND AGAIN WE VERIFIED THAT THE PUMP WAS OFF. LASTLY, MAINT HAD US STAND BY WHILE THEY CHKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER OPERATIONAL CHKS THAT COULD BE PERFORMED. WHILE WE STOOD BY ON THE RADIO, I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND THE PAX OF OUR SIT. AFTER THAT, WE ATTEMPTED TO CHK THE LIGHT BULBS BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. DISPATCH/MAINT RADIOED BACK ADVISING US THAT THE LNDG GEAR SHOULD BE DOWN AND LOCKED. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ADVISED US TO LAND IN PIT, DECLARE AN EMER, AND REQUEST EMER EQUIP TO STAND BY, WHICH WE AGREED WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE GIVEN SIT. LASTLY, OUR FUEL ON BOARD WAS VERIFIED AT APPROX 900-1000 LBS. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR SIT AND DECLARED AN EMER. WITH THE WINDS BEING LIGHT OUT OF THE SW, WE ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R. ON FINAL APCH, I CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT TO VERIFY THAT THE CABIN WAS SECURE FOR LNDG. ADDITIONALLY, I ASKED TWR TO ONCE AGAIN VERIFY THAT OUR L MAIN GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS. HE AGAIN SAID THAT IT WAS. WE ALSO VERIFIED THAT THE LNDG CONFIGN WARNING DID NOT ALERT ON FINAL, WHICH RECEIVES INFO FROM THE L MAIN GEAR DOWN LOCK SWITCH. IT DID NOT GO OFF. LASTLY, WE TOOK THE APPROPRIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ON LNDG AND ROLLOUT, AND WE WERE PREPARED FOR A POSSIBLE L MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, ALL INDICATIONS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT WE COULD SAFELY TAXI TO THE GATE WITH AN EMER VEHICLE ESCORT. ONCE PARKED AT THE GATE, THE PAX WERE DEPLANED AND DISPATCH, MAINT, AND THE CHIEF PLT WERE NOTIFIED. OUR COMPANY'S PROC IS TO CHK SPARE LIGHT BULBS AS PART OF THE PREFLT INSPECTION. THIS CHK HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, THE CORRECT LIGHT BULBS WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT AND COULD HAVE POSSIBLY REPLACED THE FAULTY BULBS GIVING US THE FAULTY INDICATION. I NOW MAKE SURE THAT THIS PREFLT CHK IS DONE AS PART OF MY ACCEPTANCE CHK OF THE ACFT.

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.