Narrative:

Flight abc, an MD80 on arrival to ZZZ at XA55, the landing gear was selected down during a normal approach in VMC at night. After a short time, the 2 main gear indicators showed green, but the nosewheel did not. The nosewheel did not show red (unsafe) either. A mechanical pin, located on the throttle console that indicates nosewheel down and locked, was extended as it would normally be with the gear down and locked. We leveled the aircraft, had ATC vector us in a holding area southeast of the airport while we ran the 'abnormal gear indication' checklist. I flew the aircraft and communicated with ATC while the captain coordinated with the company and ran the checklists. The checklist had us use the alternate gear handle. A short time after the alternate gear handle was pulled, the nose gear indicated green. As is the case in this situation, the main gear doors indicated open (not faired). We advised ATC to have equipment standing by and elected to make a smooth landing and rollout with minimal braking and stop the aircraft straight ahead. Maintenance was called out and inspected and pinned the gear in place. We taxied to the gate uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated no emergency was declared but advised approach control that we needed to orbit to accomplish the checklist. The reporter said the checklist required alternate landing gear extension which was accomplished and checked at the pedestal. The reporter stated maintenance has released no information on the component that caused the incident. The reporter said ground check of the nose gear revealed no broken parts and it is believed by the crew the cause was a defective nose gear position sensor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON APCH AT 3000 FT EXPERIENCED NOSE LNDG GEAR POS INDICATION NEITHER RED NOR GREEN INDICATION. LIGHT TEST OK.

Narrative: FLT ABC, AN MD80 ON ARR TO ZZZ AT XA55, THE LNDG GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN DURING A NORMAL APCH IN VMC AT NIGHT. AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE 2 MAIN GEAR INDICATORS SHOWED GREEN, BUT THE NOSEWHEEL DID NOT. THE NOSEWHEEL DID NOT SHOW RED (UNSAFE) EITHER. A MECHANICAL PIN, LOCATED ON THE THROTTLE CONSOLE THAT INDICATES NOSEWHEEL DOWN AND LOCKED, WAS EXTENDED AS IT WOULD NORMALLY BE WITH THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. WE LEVELED THE ACFT, HAD ATC VECTOR US IN A HOLDING AREA SE OF THE ARPT WHILE WE RAN THE 'ABNORMAL GEAR INDICATION' CHKLIST. I FLEW THE ACFT AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC WHILE THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH THE COMPANY AND RAN THE CHKLISTS. THE CHKLIST HAD US USE THE ALTERNATE GEAR HANDLE. A SHORT TIME AFTER THE ALTERNATE GEAR HANDLE WAS PULLED, THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED GREEN. AS IS THE CASE IN THIS SIT, THE MAIN GEAR DOORS INDICATED OPEN (NOT FAIRED). WE ADVISED ATC TO HAVE EQUIP STANDING BY AND ELECTED TO MAKE A SMOOTH LNDG AND ROLLOUT WITH MINIMAL BRAKING AND STOP THE ACFT STRAIGHT AHEAD. MAINT WAS CALLED OUT AND INSPECTED AND PINNED THE GEAR IN PLACE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED NO EMER WAS DECLARED BUT ADVISED APCH CTL THAT WE NEEDED TO ORBIT TO ACCOMPLISH THE CHKLIST. THE RPTR SAID THE CHKLIST REQUIRED ALTERNATE LNDG GEAR EXTENSION WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND CHKED AT THE PEDESTAL. THE RPTR STATED MAINT HAS RELEASED NO INFO ON THE COMPONENT THAT CAUSED THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR SAID GND CHK OF THE NOSE GEAR REVEALED NO BROKEN PARTS AND IT IS BELIEVED BY THE CREW THE CAUSE WAS A DEFECTIVE NOSE GEAR POS SENSOR.

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.