Incident Overview
A pilot returning from a local area personal flight encountered an issue with the nose landing gear indication after entering the traffic pattern. The safe indication for the nose gear did not illuminate.
Sequence of Events
The airport manager informed the pilot that all three landing gear appeared to be in the down position from a ground observation. The manager suggested checking the light bulb and circling until the fire department arrived. The pilot acknowledged this advice but subsequently landed the aircraft on a grass area located between the runway and taxiway. This grass surface was rough and uneven.
During the landing roll, the landing gear remained down and locked. The aircraft sustained no damage attributable to the gear condition.
Examination Findings
Post-flight examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose landing gear micro-switch was out of adjustment. This condition likely prevented the cockpit indicator from showing a down-and-locked status.
Operating Procedures
The aircraft's operating procedures for an unsafe nose landing gear indication specified that the pilot should conduct a normal full flap landing and hold the nose gear from touching down for as long as possible.