B737-400 fails to get green nose gear safe light on approach.

Attributes
ACN	741741
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	741741
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 : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

When selecting the landing gear down; the green nose gear light did not illuminate. We advised tower and did a fly-by over runway. Tower stated that the nose gear appeared down. We entered right traffic. We did a light test and all lights except the green nose gear light illuminated. We contacted operations and had them contact dispatch and maintenance control. After conferring with maintenance control and discussing that there were no red disagreement lights and no aural warnings; as we had a light problem and not a gear problem; I told tower to have the emergency equipment standing by as a precaution. I told the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing. I elected to use the QRH procedure for a partial or gear up landing (both main gear down/nose gear up) as a precaution. We landed on runway without incident. We stopped the aircraft on a taxiway clear of the runway and waited for contract maintenance to inspect and pin the nose gear. We then taxied to gate without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 FAILS TO GET GREEN NOSE GEAR SAFE LIGHT ON APCH.

Narrative: WHEN SELECTING THE LNDG GEAR DOWN; THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. WE ADVISED TWR AND DID A FLY-BY OVER RWY. TWR STATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED DOWN. WE ENTERED R TFC. WE DID A LIGHT TEST AND ALL LIGHTS EXCEPT THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE CONTACTED OPS AND HAD THEM CONTACT DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT CTL AND DISCUSSING THAT THERE WERE NO RED DISAGREEMENT LIGHTS AND NO AURAL WARNINGS; AS WE HAD A LIGHT PROB AND NOT A GEAR PROB; I TOLD TWR TO HAVE THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AS A PRECAUTION. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG. I ELECTED TO USE THE QRH PROC FOR A PARTIAL OR GEAR UP LNDG (BOTH MAIN GEAR DOWN/NOSE GEAR UP) AS A PRECAUTION. WE LANDED ON RWY WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE STOPPED THE ACFT ON A TXWY CLR OF THE RWY AND WAITED FOR CONTRACT MAINT TO INSPECT AND PIN THE NOSE GEAR. WE THEN TAXIED TO GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.