Approach abandoned when unable to get 3 green lights on landing gear.

Attributes
ACN	98312
Time
Date	198811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	98312
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On final approach, about 5 mi out, selected gear down and upon completion of cycle noted no illumination of either left main landing gear bulbs. Started level off to missed approach and had first officer advise tower of 'unsafe gear indication,' needing to go to an area to further investigate the situation. Tower gave us initial missed instructions then handed us off to departure control who sent us wbound toward slb. During our wbound departure first officer was given control of the aircraft as I changed both left main gear bulbs; both found to burned out. We tested the system ok at altitude, advised ny that we were all set and I took over the aircraft's controls returning to ewr for landing runway 11 with no further problems. After landing we noticed the barrage of emergency vehicles in the area, but at not time did we state we needed assistance other than what we needed to check out on our own.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH ABANDONED WHEN UNABLE TO GET 3 GREEN LIGHTS ON LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH, ABOUT 5 MI OUT, SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND UPON COMPLETION OF CYCLE NOTED NO ILLUMINATION OF EITHER LEFT MAIN LNDG GEAR BULBS. STARTED LEVEL OFF TO MISSED APCH AND HAD F/O ADVISE TWR OF 'UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION,' NEEDING TO GO TO AN AREA TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION. TWR GAVE US INITIAL MISSED INSTRUCTIONS THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL WHO SENT US WBOUND TOWARD SLB. DURING OUR WBOUND DEP F/O WAS GIVEN CTL OF THE ACFT AS I CHANGED BOTH LEFT MAIN GEAR BULBS; BOTH FOUND TO BURNED OUT. WE TESTED THE SYS OK AT ALT, ADVISED NY THAT WE WERE ALL SET AND I TOOK OVER THE ACFT'S CONTROLS RETURNING TO EWR FOR LNDG RWY 11 WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. AFTER LNDG WE NOTICED THE BARRAGE OF EMER VEHICLES IN THE AREA, BUT AT NOT TIME DID WE STATE WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN WHAT WE NEEDED TO CHK OUT ON OUR OWN.

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