Incident Overview
During arrival at Fort Lauderdale, the aircrew attempted to extend the landing gear. Initially, they were unable to obtain a safe 'down' indication for the right main gear. After approximately one hour, they confirmed that both main landing gear had extended and were locked. The flight then diverted to Miami. By that time, the normal gear extension system could not extend the nose gear, and only 4,000 lbs of fuel remained. The captain elected to land without manually extending the nose gear, citing concerns about low fuel and the possibility of compromising the main landing gear position if the gear handle were placed in neutral while the 'A' hydraulic system was off.
Examination Findings
A subsequent examination revealed that the rod end of the landing gear lock actuator, part number 69-30537-4, had failed. A metallurgical examination determined that the rod end failed from fatigue in the threaded area where corrosion had occurred. Additionally, an electrical failure was found in the landing gear logic resolution circuit, which would have caused an improper indication of the right main gear.
Outcome
The aircraft landed without the nose gear extended. No further details about injuries or damage were provided in the source.