37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 683343 |
Time | |
Date | 200512 |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : ase.airport |
State Reference | CO |
Altitude | msl single value : 13000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc tower : ase.tower |
Operator | general aviation : corporate |
Make Model Name | Beechjet 400 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | descent : approach |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : corporate |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 1400 |
ASRS Report | 683343 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : corporate |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear safe lights other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : diverted to another airport |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Aircraft ATC Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On our way to ase; we had 2 sets of delaying vectors. After finally being cleared for the roaring fork visual (approach to ase) I called 'flaps 20 degrees' and a moment later; 'gear down.' the l-hand green gear light did not illuminate after the gear lever was moved downward. I recycled the gear and again noticed no confirming light on the l-hand gear. I was descending through 11000 ft having just passed dbl VOR. Even with ase in sight; I elected to discontinue the approach into the ase valley; climb and resolve the matter. Even though we were not on the VOR or localizer approach; I climbed to the right to intercept the pkn localizer. My first officer informed ase tower of our decision. Back with ZDV; we climbed to 16000 ft and informed them that we wanted to divert to ege and that momentarily; fuel was going to become an issue. Although I never declared an emergency; ATC repeatedly told other traffic that we were in an emergency condition. I exchanged the r-hand gear bulb for the l-hand gear bulb and took one additional step of lowering the gear to confirm that now the l-hand bulb illuminated; but not the r-hand. I informed ATC and our passenger of the situation; telling them I was merely 'playing it safe' on all accounts. ATC put us on a vector away from ege and just a moment later I declared 'minimum fuel.' I was at 1100 pounds of fuel; but felt that any additional delays would not leave my any other options. A moment later; ZDV gave us a clearance heading towards the localizer approach to ege. On short final; my first officer questioned the tower who confirmed that all 3 of our gear 'appeared down.' landing and taxi were uneventful. On taxi in; I overheard ege ground control talking with a fire truck and I did see one cross the runway. He told the fire truck; '...and that beechjet did not declare an emergency.' as mentioned earlier; I had heard other ATC frequencys mention we were an 'emergency aircraft.' I only corrected them once; as had other chores.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF BE40 DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT WHEN LNDG GEAR SAFE LIGHT FAILS TO ILLUMINATE AT ASE.
Narrative: ON OUR WAY TO ASE; WE HAD 2 SETS OF DELAYING VECTORS. AFTER FINALLY BEING CLRED FOR THE ROARING FORK VISUAL (APCH TO ASE) I CALLED 'FLAPS 20 DEGS' AND A MOMENT LATER; 'GEAR DOWN.' THE L-HAND GREEN GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AFTER THE GEAR LEVER WAS MOVED DOWNWARD. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AND AGAIN NOTICED NO CONFIRMING LIGHT ON THE L-HAND GEAR. I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 11000 FT HAVING JUST PASSED DBL VOR. EVEN WITH ASE IN SIGHT; I ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE THE APCH INTO THE ASE VALLEY; CLB AND RESOLVE THE MATTER. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT ON THE VOR OR LOC APCH; I CLBED TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE PKN LOC. MY FO INFORMED ASE TWR OF OUR DECISION. BACK WITH ZDV; WE CLBED TO 16000 FT AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WANTED TO DIVERT TO EGE AND THAT MOMENTARILY; FUEL WAS GOING TO BECOME AN ISSUE. ALTHOUGH I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER; ATC REPEATEDLY TOLD OTHER TFC THAT WE WERE IN AN EMER CONDITION. I EXCHANGED THE R-HAND GEAR BULB FOR THE L-HAND GEAR BULB AND TOOK ONE ADDITIONAL STEP OF LOWERING THE GEAR TO CONFIRM THAT NOW THE L-HAND BULB ILLUMINATED; BUT NOT THE R-HAND. I INFORMED ATC AND OUR PAX OF THE SITUATION; TELLING THEM I WAS MERELY 'PLAYING IT SAFE' ON ALL ACCOUNTS. ATC PUT US ON A VECTOR AWAY FROM EGE AND JUST A MOMENT LATER I DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' I WAS AT 1100 LBS OF FUEL; BUT FELT THAT ANY ADDITIONAL DELAYS WOULD NOT LEAVE MY ANY OTHER OPTIONS. A MOMENT LATER; ZDV GAVE US A CLRNC HEADING TOWARDS THE LOC APCH TO EGE. ON SHORT FINAL; MY FO QUESTIONED THE TWR WHO CONFIRMED THAT ALL 3 OF OUR GEAR 'APPEARED DOWN.' LNDG AND TAXI WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON TAXI IN; I OVERHEARD EGE GND CTL TALKING WITH A FIRE TRUCK AND I DID SEE ONE CROSS THE RWY. HE TOLD THE FIRE TRUCK; '...AND THAT BEECHJET DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.' AS MENTIONED EARLIER; I HAD HEARD OTHER ATC FREQS MENTION WE WERE AN 'EMER ACFT.' I ONLY CORRECTED THEM ONCE; AS HAD OTHER CHORES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.