EMER DECLARED BY FLT CREW OF A CRJ FERRY FLT WHEN A NOSE GEAR EXTENSION PROB SURFACES WHILE ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO ZZZ; US.

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UPON PREFLT IN ZZZ; A LINE MAINT CREW CHIEF HAD A NOSE ACCESS PANEL OPEN AND WAS INSPECTING INSIDE THE NOSE (L-HAND SIDE) ABOVE THE NOSE GEAR. I ASKED HIM IF THE ACFT WAS OK. HE RESPONDED THAT IT WAS; AND HE WAS DOUBLE-CHKING SOME COMPONENTS THAT HE REPLACED FOR LEAKS. HE GAVE NO TIME REF AS TO WHEN THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. THE FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON PUSHBACK AT ZZZ1; THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WOULD NOT ARM ALONG WITH A CAUTION MESSAGE. THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT AND THEY SENT OUT A MECH. THE MECH; FOLLOWING ZZZ MAINT INSTRUCTIONS; COULD NOT FIND AN OBVIOUS PROB. IT WAS DECIDED TO MEL THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS; AND PERFORM A NON-REVENUE FERRY TO ZZZ. THE CAPT CONCURRED. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS REMOVED FROM THE FLT BY CREW SCHEDULING; AND THE FERRY PROGRESSED FROM ZZZ1. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE NOSE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT; BUT CONTROLLABLE. WE ALSO ADVISED ATC OF OUR SIT. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL; CLBOUT; AND ENRTE ALSO WENT WELL. ON APCH TO ZZZ WITH FLAPS 20 DEGS; THE CAPT CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN. THE HANDLE WAS SELECTED DOWN. 'NOSE GEAR DOWN;' 'GEAR DISAGREE' WARNING MESSAGES APPEARED ON THE EICAS #2 GREEN MAIN GEAR INDICATIONS AND WHITE NOSE GEAR INDICATIONS WERE ALSO INDICATED. THE CAPT CALLED FOR A MISSED APCH. WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS; THE GEAR WAS CYCLED AND SAME INDICATIONS WERE PRESENT. EMER QRH WAS FOLLOWED ALONG WITH A CALL TO MAINT. UPON PULLING OF EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE; NOSE GEAR CAME DOWN WITH APPROPRIATE GREEN INDICATIONS. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. BEFORE THE QRH WAS CALLED; AN EMER WAS DECLARED. SOME FACTORS THAT COULD POSE A POTENTIAL PROB WERE: THE CAPT WAS APCHING A DUTY TIME LIMITATION AS HE WAS CALLED OUT JUST BEFORE THE END OF HIS READY RESERVE PERIOD. MYSELF AS AN FO; THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP OFF FROM IOE. ALSO; IF THE ZZZ MAINT CREW CHIEF HAD ANY RESERVATIONS; CONCERNS; OR ISSUES WITH THE ACFT; HE SHOULD AT MINIMUM HAVE INFORMED THE CREW. THE MEL THAT ALLOWS FOR NOSEWHEEL STEERING INOP FERRY FLTS SHOULD HAVE THE CAPT'S DISCRETION TO ACCEPT THE FLT AND OR PERHAPS DAY VMC CONDITIONS TO LIMIT ANY NIGHTTIME HAZARDS DURING GND OPS.