SMT ATX PLT HAS AN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM INFLT AND HAS GOOD COORD FROM ATCT LCL CTLR IN VERIFYING GEAR DOWN INDICATION.

Date: 1992-01 · Aircraft: Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Recip Eng

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

SMT ATX PLT HAS AN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM INFLT AND HAS GOOD COORD FROM ATCT LCL CTLR IN VERIFYING GEAR DOWN INDICATION.

Narrative

ON JAN/FRI/92 AT AM40 WHILE CONDUCTING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28 AT ALB (ALBANY; NY); I WAS GIVEN LNDG CLRNC BY ALBANY TWR ON RWY 28. AFTER REDUCING SPD AT PATTERN ALT ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH I SELECTED GEAR DOWN. WITH LESS THAN 1/4 MI TO THE RWY; I ADVISED TWR THAT I WISHED TO GAR TO ALLOW MORE TIME TO VERIFY MY GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED ( I DID NOT HAVE A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE WHEEL). TWR CLRED ME TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 01; WHICH I DID. DURING THIS TIME I RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR AND ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN I DID NOT SEE A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE WHEEL. I INFORMED THE TWR I WOULD NEED MORE TIME TO VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN. HOWEVER; IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY CLRED ME TO CIRCLE SE OF THE ARPT THE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I ADVISED TWR I WAS ABLE TO LAND. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 01 FROM THE R DOWNWIND. I DETERMINED THAT DUE TO THE COLD TEMP AND MOISTURE ACCUMULATED IN THE WHEEL WELL; THAT THE GEAR LIGHT MICRO SWITCH HAD SIMPLY TAKEN SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL TO ACTIVATE. ALSO; BECAUSE THE NOSE WHEEL IS NORMALLY THE LAST WHEEL TO FULLY DEPLOY ON THAT ACFT AND BECAUSE THE GEAR IS ACTIVATED BY AN ENG DRIVER HYD PUMP; I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE NEED FOR A GAR BY ALLOWING MORE TIME FOR THE GEAR TO EXTEND WHILE USING A HIGHER PWR SETTING TO ALLOW THE HYD PUMP TO OPERATE AT FULL SPD. I WAS NOT REQUESTED TO SUPPLY A RPT BY ATC ALTHOUGH THE TWR CALLED THE ARFF ON THE RWY AT THEIR INITIATIVE. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM EXISTED SO I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT PRIOR TO ANY INSPECTION. AS I SUSPECTED; THE DELAY ON THE NOSE WHEEL LIGHT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED BY FROZEN MOISTURE ON THE SWITCH AND DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.