ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION IS SELF DIAGNOSED AFTER THE EVENT AND FLC NOW SUFFERS AN FAA INVESTIGATION OVER POST FLT INSPECTION PROCS BY FLC AFTER NOSE GEAR HAD FAILED TO INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED THE FIRST TIME.

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ON 1-94; I WAS ADVISED BY MY CHIEF PLT THAT THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FAA. DURING AN APCH TO BUFFALO; NY; RWY 23; THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE GREEN NOSE GEAR INDICATION WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. WE WERE CLRED FOR A LOW PASS AND ADVISED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN BUT COMPLETE EXTENSION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE CREW CYCLED THE GEAR AND DID ANOTHER LOW PASS AND WHILE DOING IT; THE NOSE GEAR GREEN INDICATION CAME ON. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND DID SO UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN WE INITIALLY BECAME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL LNDG GEAR PROB; WE REQUESTED EMER EQUIP. AFTER THE INCIDENT; THE NOSE GEAR WAS INSPECTED BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS AND THE ACFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AIRWORTHY. ICE ON THE MICROSWITCH WAS SUSPECTED TO HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION OF THE INDICATION. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AND PERFORMED NORMALLY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 26207: AFTER REACHING THE OM; FO CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN. I NOTICED NO IN TRANSIT LIGHT; THEN NO GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT. I THEN SAID 'NO NOSE GEAR LIGHT.' FO SAID 'I'LL MAKE A LOW PASS THEN; LEFT TFC BACK AROUND.' I TOLD THE TWR I WAS UNSURE OF THE NOSE GEAR POS. TWR SAID 'MAKE A LOW APCH AND I'LL LOOK AT IT.' I DID THAT AND HE SAID 'IT APPEARS DOWN.' I RAISED THE GEAR AND THIS TIME I GOT THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT ON. I TOLD MY FO 'I THINK IT'S ICE IN THE SQUAT SWITCH.' WE TURNED DOWNWIND AND I LOWERED THE GEAR. AGAIN I GOT THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT ON AND THEN THE GREEN LIGHT. I TOLD THE CTLR AFTER RAISING THE GEAR THAT THE LIGHTS ARE BEGINNING TO WORK. HE WAS BUSY CALLING THE FIRE TRUCKS; AND DID NOT ANSWER. HE TOLD ME THAT MY 'GEAR APPEARS DOWN' AND 'DO YOU WANT ME TO DECLARE AN EMER?' I SAW THE TRUCKS LEAVING THE GARAGE AND SAID 'YES; YOU'D BETTER CALL OUT THE TRUCKS.' I DID NOT WRITE UP THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE SECOND CYCLE OF THE GEAR PROVED UNEVENTFUL WITH THE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY AND CONFIRMING GEAR POS VISUALLY IN THE SPINNER.