Summary
During a landing, the flightcrew reported that while extending the landing gear, the nose gear did not indicate down and locked. After further attempts to lower the nose gear were unsuccessful, the aircraft was landed with the nose gear not in the down-and-locked position.
Inspection Findings
A post-incident inspection revealed that the nosewheel steering system was incorrectly rigged. The nose gear could not properly center itself, and the nosewheel steering cable tensions were below required limits. This condition resulted in a situation where the nose gear would impinge on the side wall of the gear well, preventing extension.
Background
The aircraft manufacturer reported that a combination of nose gear misrigging and reduced cable tensions was required to duplicate this scenario. Approximately two weeks prior to the incident, the nosewheel steering control valve had been replaced. This replacement would have required a check of the nose gear rigging.