SMA'S GEAR IS THOUGHT TO BE DOWN BUT PLT CAN'T GET GREEN LIGHTS TO CONFIRM THIS ACFT STATUS.

Date: 1993-04 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA'S GEAR IS THOUGHT TO BE DOWN BUT PLT CAN'T GET GREEN LIGHTS TO CONFIRM THIS ACFT STATUS.

Narrative

I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG AT LONG BEACH. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE GEAR HAD LOWERED. THAT IS; THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON THAT INDICATE THAT THE GEAR IS DOWN. THERE WAS NO GREEN LIGHT INDICATION. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AND STILL THE GREEN LIGHTS DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE GEARS WERE DOWN. I ENGAGED THE EMER ACTIVATION LEVER TO DROP THE GEAR AND THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I WAS ABLE TO 'FEEL' THE GEAR COME DOWN. THIS WAS INDICATED BY SLOWING OF THE PLANE AND THE CHARACTERISTIC 'THUD.' I COMMUNICATED WITH THE TWR THAT I COULD NOT BE SURE THAT MY GEARS WERE DOWN. I ASKED THEM IF I COULD FLY BY LOW AND HAVE THEM TAKE A LOOK. I DID FLY BY THE TWR ON RWY 25L AND THEY INDICATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT ALL 3 GEARS WERE IN THE DOWN POS. I STAYED IN THE PATTERN FOR LNDG. WHILE I WAS IN THE PATTERN I CHKED ALL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND THEY WERE IN THE ON POS. I ALSO CYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH. THE ALTERNATOR INDICATOR SHOWED THAT IT WAS CHARGING. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHEN I ACTIVATED THE EMER GEAR SWITCH IN THE OVERRIDE POS THE YELLOW OVERRIDE LIGHT DID ILLUMINATE. I AGAIN PLACED THE EMER GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POS. THE TWR ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE 'EQUIP' AND I INDICATED THAT I WOULD. I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THE LIGHT WAS BRIGHT IN THE CABIN SO I ATTEMPTED TO SHIELD THE LIGHT FROM THE INDICATORS BUT THEY WERE NOT ON. I WENT AHEAD AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROBS AND THE LNDG GEAR HELD. AFTER I WAS ON THE TXWY SOMEONE ON THE RADIO TOLD ME TO TURN OFF MY NAV LIGHTS. WHEN I TURNED THE NAV LIGHTS OFF THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHTS CAME ON. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION AFTER I WENT TO TIE DOWN I DISCOVERED THAT WHEN THE NAV LIGHTS ARE ON THE GREEN LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL. AN ARPT SECURITY OFFICER CAME OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS OK AND TOOK A RPT. I CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE PER REQUEST OF THE TWR AND THEY ASKED IF EVERYTHING WAS OK. I SHOULD NOTE THAT EMER EQUIP WAS POSITIONED BY RWY 25L WHEN WE LANDED.

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