A300 captain reports unsafe landing gear during approach. Attempts to extend gear by alternate means...

Attributes
ACN	790178
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	790178
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear indicator
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : executed go around flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On final approach to ZZZ; lowered landing gear. Left main did not indicate down and locked on the front panel; overhead panel or main landing gear down lock indicators. Recycled gear with same result. Notified tower of problem as we went around. Requested vectors for troubleshooting. Emergency declared. Complied with all ECAM and checklist items. Manually lowered gear. No help. Performed sideslips in both directions at increased speed. No help. Finally; the gear indicated down and locked. We made a low level fly-by over the runway for ground personnel to inspect gear. All ground reports were normal. We landed and stopped on the runway. Our company maintenance towed us to the ramp. As a crew; I thought we were very logical and coordinated in handling this emergency. Nothing was a mystery and all opinions were vocalized and evaluated. Great job by the first officer backing me up on all checklists and sorting everything out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: maintenance could not find a reason for the gear to fail to extend. The aircraft was ferried the next day with a different flight crew and the gear extension problem occurred again. The reporter has not received an explanation from the company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CAPT REPORTS UNSAFE LANDING GEAR DURING APPROACH. ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND GEAR BY ALTERNATE MEANS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL UNTIL PROBLEM CLEARS UP ON ITS OWN AND GEAR EXTENDS.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO ZZZ; LOWERED LNDG GEAR. L MAIN DID NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED ON THE FRONT PANEL; OVERHEAD PANEL OR MAIN LNDG GEAR DOWN LOCK INDICATORS. RECYCLED GEAR WITH SAME RESULT. NOTIFIED TWR OF PROB AS WE WENT AROUND. REQUESTED VECTORS FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. EMER DECLARED. COMPLIED WITH ALL ECAM AND CHKLIST ITEMS. MANUALLY LOWERED GEAR. NO HELP. PERFORMED SIDESLIPS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AT INCREASED SPD. NO HELP. FINALLY; THE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED. WE MADE A LOW LEVEL FLY-BY OVER THE RWY FOR GND PERSONNEL TO INSPECT GEAR. ALL GND RPTS WERE NORMAL. WE LANDED AND STOPPED ON THE RWY. OUR COMPANY MAINT TOWED US TO THE RAMP. AS A CREW; I THOUGHT WE WERE VERY LOGICAL AND COORDINATED IN HANDLING THIS EMER. NOTHING WAS A MYSTERY AND ALL OPINIONS WERE VOCALIZED AND EVALUATED. GREAT JOB BY THE FO BACKING ME UP ON ALL CHKLISTS AND SORTING EVERYTHING OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MAINTENANCE COULD NOT FIND A REASON FOR THE GEAR TO FAIL TO EXTEND. THE ACFT WAS FERRIED THE NEXT DAY WITH A DIFFERENT FLT CREW AND THE GEAR EXTENSION PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. THE REPORTER HAS NOT RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION FROM THE COMPANY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

A300 captain reports unsafe landing gear during approach. Attempts to extend gear by alternate means are unsuccessful until problem clears up on its own and gear extends.