2002-02 · NASA ASRS report 539258
B737-300 CREW HAD LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATE. WHILE USING THE GEAR VIEW PORT INSPECTION WINDOWS IN THE CABIN FLOOR THE FO FOUND THE CARPET ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL UP; A PAX SEAT BLOCKING THE VIEW PORT AND THE VIEW PORT WINDOWS VERY DIRTY.
PRECAUTIONARY; LNDG GEAR INDICATION. DURING CLBOUT FROM HOU; THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LNDG GEAR WAS CYCLED TO NO EFFECT; AND DISPATCH DIRECTED A RETURN TO HOUSTON. AS A PRECAUTION ON THE RETURN; AFTER THE LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED; I WENT TO THE CABIN TO OBSERVE LNDG GEAR POS USING THE VIEWER. I MAKE THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: 1) THE ADHESIVE USED TO SECURE CARPET MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REVEAL THE VIEWING WINDOW. SINCE PERSONAL TOOLS ARE NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR PLTS; A WRITING PEN HAD TO BE BORROWED TO PRY THE CARPET UP. 2) ONCE THE PORT WAS REVEALED; IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO VIEW LNDG GEAR POS DUE TO THE POS OF THE PAX SEATING. THE L MAIN WAS VISIBLE WITHOUT THE USE OF THE PRISM; WHILE THE R WAS ONLY VISIBLE BY PUTTING ONE'S HEAD BTWN THE SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION AND THE BAGGAGE RESTRAINT BAR. THIS MADE THE FOCAL LENGTH TO THE PRISM SO SHORT; THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FOCUS. 3) THE VIEWER PORT WAS VERY DIRTY; MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE LNDG GEAR POS MARKING. THE VIEWER IS OUT OF REACH FROM THE WHEELWELL; AND NOT CLEANABLE DURING PREFLT INSPECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT VISUAL INSPECTION OF LNDG GEAR POS IS A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT PROPOSITION THAN IT NEEDS TO BE; PRINCIPALLY DUE TO PAX SEATING POS. THE VIEWER NEEDS TO BE CLEANED MORE OFTEN THAN IS CURRENTLY DONE. I SUGGEST THAT CYCLE BE ACCELERATED. THIS EVENT HAD AN UNEVENTFUL ENDING IN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES. WE OUGHT TO GO TO SCHOOL ON THIS TO PREVENT PROBS THAT COULD RESULT AT NIGHT OR IN THE WX.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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