A319 CREW HAS UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION THAT CANNOT BE REMEDIED; AND LANDS SAFELY.

Narrative

ON FINAL APCH; 'GEAR DOWN FINAL APCH CHKLIST;' L MAIN GEAR NOT DOWN; SO WE GO AROUND. L GEAR NOT DOWN; EXTREME VIBRATION; TRY TO RECYCLE; DOESN'T WORK; GEAR RETRACTS OK BUT L DOES NOT GO DOWN; SO WE TRY TO MANUALLY GRAVITY DROP THE GEAR; GEAR SEEMS PARTIALLY DOWN AND VIBRATION CONTINUES. FUEL (TIME) RUNNING OUT SO DECLARE EMER AND REQUEST A FLYBY INSPECTION FROM TWR. RESPONSE; GEAR SEEMS DOWN OK; STILL IT INDICATES NOT DOWN OR LOCKED; NO OTHER OPTIONS; SO PREPARATION FOR EVAC AND PLAN FOR SOFT AND CONTROLLABLE LNDG GRADUALLY APPLYING LOAD TO GEAR; ALERT; CTL IF GEAR IS NOT STABILIZED; ON LNDG WE PLAN TO SOFTLY LAND IN A STABILIZED SAFE WAY INCREASING AERODYNAMIC LOAD AND BRAKES TO THE R IF THE L LNDG GEAR IS COLLAPSING; IMMEDIATE ENG SHUTDOWN AND EVAC; ANTICIPATING AND PREPARED FOR THESE UNSAFE SITUATIONS. BRACE ANNOUNCEMENT AT 500 FT. WE REMAIN STABLE; IN CTL AND ON THE RWY AND READY; PREPARED FOR EVAC IF NECESSARY. AS WE REMAIN STABLE AND SLOW DOWN OK THE REMAIN SEATED ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE. ONCE STOPPED SAFELY ON THE RWY THE GEAR INDICATES DOWN NORMALLY. THE GEAR WAS INSPECTED ON THE RWY AND RPTED OK. WE CONFIRM ALL CLR AROUND THE ACFT AND DO A SHORT SLOW TAXI TEST ON THE RWY TO CONFIRM NOSEWHEEL STEERING IS OPERATIONAL AGAIN AND WE ARE ABLE TO TAXI TO THE GATE. ON APCH AT THE LOWER ALTS THE AUTOMATIC WARNINGS WERE CONTINUOUS AND LOUD AND HAD A SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE EFFECT ON COMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT DECIDED TO LAND IN A SLIGHT SKID (NOSE L) TO PUSH THE L GEAR TOWARDS THE LOCKED POS. THIS SEEMED TO WORK AS THE GEAR INDICATED SAFE JUST AT TOUCHDOWN. HE ALSO RPTED THAT THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF GEAR PROBS; WHICH HAD ALWAYS BEEN SOLVED IN THE PAST BY CYCLING THE GEAR. IT DIDN'T WORK THIS TIME.