CAPT OF SMT JET DECLARED EMER AND 'BLEW THE LNDG GEAR DOWN' AFTER THE FLC COULD NOT GET A 'GEAR DOWN' SAFE INDICATION LIGHT.

Narrative

ON NOV/FRI/92 I WAS FLYING AN SMT JET FROM GRR TO MDW TO DROP PAX AND RETURN GRR EMPTY. I MADE THE 31L ILS APCH BREAKING OFF TO LAND 22R. ON BASE LEG; I DROPPED THE GEAR AND WE RECEIVED NO GREEN LIGHTS FOR A SAFE GEAR; MY COMMENT: WHERE IS THE DAY/NIGHT LIGHT SWITCH? WHILE LOOKING FOR AND TURNING IT ON THE FO PULLED THE GEAR INDICATOR (WITH IDEA OF CHKING BULBS). HE COULD NOT GET IT OUT OR BACK IN. NOW TURNING FINAL; I TOLD MDW TWR WE HAD A GEAR PROBLEM AND REQUESTED R TFC WHICH WAS APPROVED. AT THIS POINT FO FLEW ACFT AND I TRIED TO RESET GEAR INDICATOR WITH NO SUCCESS. ON DOWNWIND LEG WE TRIED ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS; DAY/NIGHT SWITCH; STILL NO GREEN LIGHTS ON INDICATOR WHICH WE COULD NOT REMOVE OR RESET. I LOWERED THE GEAR AND TOLD MDW TWR WE WOULD LIKE A LOW APCH TO CHK THE GEAR. AFTER THIS; THE TWR RPTED ALL 3 GEAR APPEARED NORMAL. ON DOWNWIND LEG; STILL NO SAFE OR UNSAFE INDICATION SO I DID THE EMER PROC AND BLEW THE GEAR. LNDG WAS NORMAL AND NO MORE PROBLEMS. TALKED WITH HOME MAINT ON TELEPHONE AND DECISION MADE TO FLY HOME WITH GEAR DOWN. APPROX HALFWAY HOME; WE WERE ABLE TO GET INDICATOR RESET AND IT SHOWED 3 GREEN SAFE GEAR. SINCE IT HAD BEEN BLOWN; WE LEFT IT DOWN AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CAUSE: I BELIEVE; PULLING SWITCH BEFORE CHKING DAY/NIGHT SWITCH; ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS AND A BETTER SWITCH FOR THE GEAR THAT COULD BE MOVED IN THEN OUT TO CHK FOR BURNED OUT BULBS; AND ONE THAT WOULD NOT BE SO DIM IN THE NIGHT POS.